Experiment 147
by catpatch30
Summary: The Team is given a mission to check an abandoned factory suspected of actually being a lab preforming experiments on humans. What they find is Experiment 147, a girl who has never left the lab, and has very little knowledge of the real world. Robin/OC. (Discontinued)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

A young woman in a lab coat walked through the halls of a building hidden in the refuge of the thick forest of Virginia. "Ms. Martinez," a older man greeted as he passed by her in the other direction.

"Mr. Long," Martinez acknowledge him, and continued on her way just as Long did.

Once Martinez reached her destination, a white door the same color as the walls, it had nothing on it but a small window and a door latch, she pulled her ID card out and swiped it unlocking the door. She opened it and walked in.

The room was white, like most things in the building. It was unfurnished except for a cot in the corner, sitting on the cot was a small girl. The girl, Experiment 147, turned her head to see who had entered. She had brown hair and eyes, and a large bruise discolored her left cheek. The girls face was emotionless until she saw who it was. Once she saw it was Martinez a smile formed on her face Martinez inwardly winced as the bruise rippled with the movement of her skin. She knew it must hurt, but the girl ignored the pain and smiled anyways.

Martinez sat down on the cot. "I need to talk to you about something," Martinez told her.

The girl did not speak but only nodded her head. "Is something bothering you?" she asked. She really was concerned. Martinez cared for the girl, she was not just an experiment to her, but a young girl who knew nothing of the real world. For as long as Martinez had worked with the girl she had tried to help her understand the world outside the white wall of the girl's prison.

There was silence for a few seconds, as the girl tried to find the right words to explain how she felt."I'm, confused. You told me killing is wrong, but they want me to kill. They want me to go in the real world, and kill," the girl looked at Martinez, "I want to see the real world, but not if I have to kill while I'm out there," a small orb of white energy began to form in her hands.

Anger boiled inside of Martinez, 'wasn't the girl messed up enough. Know they want her to kill for hire' she thought. That is why she was doing this. Risking her life to get her out of here. To keep the girl from killing, to give her a better life.

She put her hand on the stressed girl's shoulder, "It's ok, you just need to calm down and we will figure this out, ok?" Martinez told the girl. The girl took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. The white orb disappeared as she did so. Once she was completely calm she faced Martinez. "ok," the girl said. Ready to hear whatever Martinez had to say.

"Your leaving," Martinez began. The girls eyes widened in surprise, but she did not voice her surprise. "I've told some people about you, and they're going to come and save you," Martinez told her.

"Who are they?" the girl asked. Trying to grasp what she was being told.

"They're superheroes, good people," Martinez explained.

"What are they going to do with me?" the girl asked.

"They're going to help you. They're going to take you to the real world," Martinez patiently answered the girls questions.

"Are they going to make me kill?" she asked.

"No they're good people and good people don't kill. You will not have to kill anyone," Martinez reassured her. The girl smiled.

"That's good. I didn't want to kill. Are you coming to?" the girl asked. Her heart broke as Martinez heard the question that she knew was coming.

"No, this is the last time I'll see you," she told her. The girl frowned, the bruise once again moving in a sickening fashion, and looked at her.

"But I don't want you to go," the girl told her in despair.

"I know. I don't want to either," Martinez pulled her into a hug. "But I have to go," with that Martinez got up and walked to the door. The girl followed her to the door. "Bye," Martinez said. The girl just waved as she watched the door close behind the closest thing she ever had to a family.

Martinez wished she could have talked to the girl longer, but she knew that their was not much time before they notice that the files on Experiment 147 were missing. She walked down the hall. She was going to leave the building and never look back. Sorrow squeeze her heart. Experiment 147 was like a daughter to her. She knew that it was unprofessional to care for an experiment, had know that it would eventually cause her pain. But she also knew that it was worth it. To know that she was helping her. That Experiment 147 was going to see the real world, have a real life. Martinez walked out of the building got in her car and drove away, never looking back.

**I hope you liked it. This is my first multi-chapter story, I'm so excited. I'm sorry their wasn't any of the team in it, but I promise they will be in the next chapter. Please review.(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

**I finally got chapter two done. I hope you like it.**

The team was hanging out at the mountain when the zeta beam computer announced "Recognized, Batman, 02." Robin and Wally where the first ones to get to the entrance where Batman was standing.

"Do you have a mission for us?" Robin asked.

"Yes," he answered. Wally and Robin high fived at hearing this. The others arrived just a little after them.

They all waited expectantly as Batman walked over to the large holographic screen. "We have suspicions that an abandoned factory in Virginia is performing illegal experiments on humans," he began. A picture of a large red brick factory surrounded by towering pine trees appeared on the screen. "We have information on one experiment, but that does not mean there are not others," the picture of the building was replaced with that of a young girl, she looked to be around twelve maybe thirteen.

"Your mission is to inspect the building and find out if this is true. If it is you are to get the experiments out. The source of this information is unknown, which means it could be a trap, so be on your guard. Are we understood?" Batman finished. Their was a chorus of 'yeses and nodding heads.' "Good, you are to leave immediately," and with that the six teens were on their way to the bio ship.

A few minutes later all six teens where inside the bio ship, and on their way to Virginia. Forty-five minutes later Megan had put the bio ship on camouflage and had landed it about three hundred feet from the building.

They got out and trudged through the thick pine woods. It did not take long for them to reach a break in the trees. "Megan open up the telepathic link," Kaldur told her. Megan's response did not come from her mouth, but a voice that rung in all their heads as the link was opened, 'ok.'

'Good, we need to come up with a plan,' Kaldur thought.

'Someones coming,' Superboy said through the link. Soon they could all hear the rustling of leaves under boots. Two security guards walked around the outskirts of the clearing unaware of the six teens hiding in the underbrush.

Artemis put an arrow on the string of her bow and pulled it back and released it. The arrow cut through the air and hit one of the men in the chest and released a cloud of gas that engulfed both the men and rendered them unconscious.

They all started for the door. Robin pulled a cord out of his glove and over rided the lock on the door. 'I took care of the security system to. They won't see us coming,' he told them as the door opened. They were greeted by a long blindingly white hallway.

'The roof,' Wally began, as they walked down the hallway.

'Ceiling, dofus,' Artemis corrected.

'Whatever, as I was saying, it's to low. Their must be more levels,' Wally finished.

'The inside has probably been redesigned since the time it was a factory, to what it is know,' Kaldur said.

They came to the end of the hallway, their were two ways to go, left, or right. 'Which way?' Megan asked.

'We split up. Robin, you take Artemis and Superboy and go left. Miss. Martian you and Kid Flash are with me, ok?' he said. Their were a couple nods of heads as they split up and went their separate ways

Kaldur and the two others snuck quietly down the hall. Their did not seem to be much. They eventually saw a door on one side of the hallway. Wally put his hand on the knob and tried to turn it. It turned with no problem and the door opened with equal ease. Once the door was open they understood why no one had taken the time to lock it.

The room was filled with boxes, some empty some with things such as cleaning supplies or blank paper inside them, their were brooms, and a vacuum. All the average things you would expect in a storage closet.

"There's nothing in here, lets keep going," Kaldur whispered in a soft voice. The others agreed and continued down the hall. Their were many turns as they continued and finally they saw another door, but it was locked.

Wally pulled on the door trying to force it to open, but it would not budge. "Let me try Wally," Megan said.

"Ok, but don't hurt yourself beautiful," Wally said and stepped away from the door. Megan did not try and force it open, but instead she held up her hands and her eyes momentarily glowed white. As she used her telekinetic powers to turn the tumblers inside of the keyhole. The lock turned as if their were a key in it and the door was know able to be opened.

The room was also a storage room, but instead of the things they found in the last room. There were empty bickers a coat rack with white lab coats hung on it, an extra lab table with wheels on the four legs, and a bookcase, that instead of housing books, it housed many different sized and shaped containers. Each container held a different liquid and had a white label stuck to it with the name of the substance inside.

Wally walked over and looked at the names of all the chemicals. "Come on," he heard Kaldur say from behind him, and saw that Kaldur and Megan had already left the room. He zipped out of the room and followed the other two as they continued down the labyrinth of hallways.

They came to another door, but this one had a large window in it. They heard a feminine giggle, they peeked through the window careful not to be seen. The room was large. It had a couple tables and a pitcher of coffee.

Two people stood in the room, one male and as the giggle suggested one female. They were both of about the same age and had white lab coats over their cloths. They both had cups in their hands. The man said something and the girl once again giggled a brought her hand up and fixed a piece of her hair. "Lets keep going," Kaldur said in a very soft whisper.

They came to a place where the hall turned right. Wally took the turn first, and quickly zipped back with the others. "Guards," it was barley even a whisper. He held up his hand with three figures strait, letting them know the number of guards that were coming their way.

They lay in wait for the guards to come around the corner. "Hey, you aren't allowed to be here," the words had just left his mouth when Megan used her telekinetic powers to throw him into the guard closest to him.

They both fell to the ground. They were about to stand back up when Kaldur commanded the water out of his pack, he formed two whips with the water and wrapped them around the two guards. Electricity flowed from the ell tattoos on his arms, through the water and into the bodies of the guards. They once again fell, but this time they were unconscious.

The last guard took a step away from them and drew his gun. Before he could aim it, Wally grabbed it from his hands. The guard tried to punch him, but Wally was to fast. "My turn," Wally taunted the man as he grabbed the guards shirt spun him in a circle and threw him against the wall. He was immediately unconscious. His face took the worst of the hit, it drug against the wall as he slumped to the ground. Leaving a red streak, as blood gushed from his know broken nose

'We found a stairwell,' all three of them could hear Robin's voice in their heads.

'Do not go up yet, we are on our way to meet you,' Kaldur replied.

'You got it,' Robin told them.

The three young heroes hurried to meet the others. They where a little past the second storage closet they had come to when they heard a someone yell at them. They turned to see that it was the man in the lab coat they had seen in the room. The woman stood a little bit behind him.

Wally rushed over, opened the door to the closest and shoved them both in. Megan locked the door. The too scientist banged on the door. They left them in the closest and continued down the halls.

They quickly came to the place were they had split up. They saw two guards, they were both tied up. They also saw a few doors as the went, but took no mind to them. Assuming the others had already checked them.

It took them only a couple minutes to maneuver the halls and come to were the others were waiting. 'Took you long enough,' Superboy remarked. He walked to the door that lead to the stairwell, and pulled it open.

'How many more levels are their?' Robin asked, as he squeezed past Superboy to see for himself.

'Looks like three,' Superboy replied. Their were six flights, it took two to get from level to level.

'Any sub-levels?' Kaldur asked as he walked up behind them. Superboy shook his head. 'Ok, Robin, you and Superboy check the top floor,' he commanded. Neither of them replied, but Robin looked back and saluted as they started up the stairs.

Kaldur was about to continue splitting them into groups. When suddenly an animalistic growl filled the silent air. Their was a clatter as something tumbled down a flight of stairs. It was wrapped in a black cloth. A groan erupted from it and the cloth moved. Reviling a slightly dazed Robin.

"Robin," exclaimed Wally. He rushed up the flight of stairs, closely followed by the others. "Are you OK?" Wally asked.

"Yeah, but those are definitely not your average Joes," Robin said as he stood up. The five teens looked up, to find Superboy one flight up fighting two abnormally large men.

Megan flew up to were Superboy was and threw one of the men off of him. The man growled and lunged at her. He was hit in the head with a birdarang before he could get to her. His anger at the martian was forgotten as he looked down at the other teens his lips drawn back in a snarl.

He rushed down at them in blind furry. Artemis shot an arrow at him that exploded on contact, but it did nothing but make the man even angrier. When he was a couple stairs away he jumped at them. Only to be grabbed by a lash of water and thrown over the railing falling to the cement below.

The man shook his head trying to clear it. He stood up, the fall had slowed him down, but not by much. Robin threw three small silver balls down the stairs. They stopped in front of the mans feet, and a thick cloud of smoke seeped from them.

It left the large man very confused, and staled him as the others ran up the stairs to were Superboy and Megan were. They were still fighting the man, but it ended quickly when Superboy threw him at the door with such force that the door broke. Reviling the hallway of the second floor.

Three more of the large men where coming down the hallway accompanied by five normal sized guards. You could also see a couple people in lab coats. "We still have our mission. KF, Robin, try and find the girl," Kaldur had thrown stealth to the wind and had practically shouted the command at them.

The two teens started up the stairs without a word. The sooner they could find the girl the sooner they could get out of here. "Where do you think they would keep her?" Wally asked as they got up another flight.

"I don't know, let check here," Robin replied as he pulled the door open to the third floor.

He was greeted by a shower of bullets and immediately pulled the door shut. The bullets ate threw the door with ease leaving little round holes behind them. Wally grabbed him and used his super speed to get them both to safety. "I suggest we should check the top floor first," Wally said as he got them up the two flights in a second.

They pulled the door open and saw a long hallway. Two large men where their, but their appeared to be no other guards. They could both hear the thunder of footsteps as they were pursued by the guards of the third floor. So they decided to take their chances against the two men.

They made their way into the hall the men immediately noticed them. One of them tried to grab Wally, and grunted when the speedster got out of the way. The other man went after Robin who expertly ducked under the man's arm when he made a swipe at him with one of his clawed hands. The man's fingernails where yellow and grown to a point, you could barley even consider them fingernails, claws where a more accurate word.

The man stumbled and clumsily tried to turn around but before he could Robin had jabbed him with a taxer. The man fell to the ground, letting out a mixture of a growl and a whimper before he passed out.

Robin could clearly see where the taxer had gotten the man in the neck. It had burned the skin leaving a patch of it blackened.

Wally continued to get out of the mans way as the man tried to hit him. The slow man was quickly getting frustrated. Wally whacked the man on the back of the head, the man let out a growl and spun around trying to catch Wally, but Wally was gone before he had even turned around.

Robin let out a cackle as he threw a cord that wrapped around the mans legs and brought him to the ground. The man was still conscious, but did not pose a threat, for he was more occupied in trying to get the rope of of himself than capturing them.

"Not very bright are they?" Wally commented as he watched the man struggle with the the rope. Growling at it, as if he could scare it into falling off. Robin shook his head and began to run down the hallway, Wally followed.

They had just rounded the first corner when they heard the door fly open. At hearing this they ran just a little bit faster. Robin came to an abrupt stop causing Wally to run into him. "Watch where your going," Robin said as he lightly shoved the speedster.

Robin's attention was drawn back to what had caused him to stop. It was a white door, it had a small window on it, and a very advanced lock on it. "Do you think that's it?" Wally asked. Robin looked threw the small window before answering, he had to get on his toes to do so. He saw a girl sitting on a cot. "Yep," he answered simply.

Robin pulled out a cord from his glove and set to work on the cord. Wally stood their vibrating, he could here the sound of the guards, they would be here shortly, and no doubt at least a couple of the large men would be with them. "Can't you go any faster," Wally asked.

"It's a complicated lock, I'm going as fast as I can," the black haired teen snapped back.

The guards rounded the corner. Their were at least three, maybe four of the large men with them. The door slide open before the guards could get to them. They both rushed into the room to escape the bullets from the normal guards.

The girl looked up at them. No fear shined in her brown eyes, she was still sitting on the cot as calm as could be. Robin grabbed the girls wrist and gently pulled, urging her to stand up. "Come on we're going to get you out of here," he told her as he lead he to the door. The girl looked at him quizzically, then at Wally with the same expression.

"Are you the superheroes that she told me were coming?" the girl asked.

"Yes, sure, whatever. We need to get out of here," Wally answered, not really listening to her question. She gave a small nod, apparently Wall's jumbled answer was enough.

'We found the girl,' Robin said through the link.

'We are on the ground level, meet us their,' Kaldur said.

'Ok,' Robin replied simply.

Robin slipped his head out the door and threw out some more balls and the hallway was filled with smoke. He started out the door without a word, Wally followed his lead, and he guided the girl by the wrist. They had gotten past some of the guards before the smoke cleared and they were located.

He began to run, dragging the girl along with him, slipping past guards as they went. Wally fell, his ankle had been grabbed by the same man who he had taunted earlier. A smile was in the man's face, a twisted joy shone in his eyes, what could possibly be considered a chuckle scratched it's way out of his throat.

Wally tried to kick the man of, but he had a good grip on his ankle. Robin was about to throw a birdarang at the man, when a silver orb came from the girl's hands and hit the man in the face. It caused the the man to loose grip on Wall's ankle just enough to allow him to escape and get back on his feet.

They began to run again, blood dripped from Wall's ankle. "I hope I don't get rabies," Wally joked as they began down the stairs.

"They all have their shots," the girl said in a very serious voice. Robin began to laugh. The girl looked at him confused and he immediately tried to quiet himself.

They got down a couple flights when they saw a large group of men, a mix of the normal gun wielding guards and the large animal like men. Robin shot a grappling hook that wrapped it's self on the rail of the stairs a few flights up. "Hold on," he said as he grabbed the girl and Wally and jumped over the railing.

He let go when they reached the bottom. They set out into the hallway of the first level, their was no door to worry about, because it lay on the ground like the door to the second floor. Two large men followed behind them.

They saw the others, they all seemed Ok except for minor injuries. All seven of them ran down the halls the men snarling at their heels. Artemis shot an arrow that enveloped one of the men in a net. The other continued to chase them as they ran.

They made it to the hall that lead to the door. A person in a lab coat stood in their way. Their arms where outstretched as if they were going to stop them. Wally pushed them out of the way and into the man behind them. The man snarled as he tried to get past the person who had been shoved at him.

They got out the door, Robin crouched by the lock and got the doors to close. Their was a thump as the man ran into it. The girl just stood their staring at the ground.

Robin saw Artemis grab her arm and pull her along with her. He got up and quickly caught up with them, and everyone else. They were soon in the safety of the forest, and they allowed their pace to slow. The girl was once again looking down at her bare feet. It was then that she asked without looking up and to no one in particular, "is this grass?"

At first no one answered but then Kaldur spoke up, "yes, it is." The girl looked up at him and a small smile graced her face

"I like it," she said simply. It was then that they arrived at the bio ship.

The girl looked at it. "It's a bio ship, my ship," Megan told her. The girl looked at the martian, then back at the ship as the door lowered allowing them entrance.

"Do you kill people?" the girl asked to no one in particular. She needed an answer before she set foot in the ship. This question startled them even more than her last.

"No, we help people, not kill them" Kaldur said in a calm voice.

"Are you going to help me?" she asked.

"Haven't we already done that?" Wally said in a light hearted voice. The girl smiled.

"Yes you have. Thank you," she replied as she stepped onto the ship.

**Please review, I would realy like to hear what people think of my story so far.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

**I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I have been on vacation, and did not get very much time to work on it.**

Experiment 147 sat on the bio ship with the other six teens. Her eyes where glued to the scenery outside the window. Martinez had told her the world was beautiful. That it was full of bright and lively colors and shapes, but not even in her sweetest dreams had it been as wonderful as this.

Her eyes would not stay still. They darted around trying to take everything in at once. The light blue sky with wisps of white clouds, the dark green of the thick pine trees, that changed to a softer shade with the fields, grays of roads, and browns of rooftops, and the sun. The fiery orb that lit the sky, it was all beautiful.

"What's your name?" a female voice said, snapping her out of her day dream. It was the girl with the long yellow hair. She saw that the girl was looking at her. That the question was directed at her. She stared at her blankly for a second, "My, name," it came out more like a question than a fact. The yellow haired girl patiently nodded. "Experiment 147," this also sounded like a question.

"That's not a name," the male red head said the words before thinking about it. The girl just shrugged and averted her eyes away.

It was the closest thing she had. She knew that it was not a real name, but then again what said that it was not. A name was a word used for identification, and she was identified by Experiment 147. So by definition it was her name, but still she doubted that she would ever walk down a street and meet someone else named Experiment 147.

The red head seemed to notice how the statement had discouraged the girl. He opened his mouth to say something, but did not get the chance to say it. "What's your name?" the words came out of the girls mouth in a great flood. Their was no spite in the question. She simply wanted to change the subject.

"Oh uh, Kid Flash, but my real names West, Wally West," he introduced himself in the classic bond style. It was meant to lighten the mood, but it did not help for the piece of pop culture was lost on the girl.

"Don't pay any attention to Mr. Half Wits over there, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Names Artemis by the way," the yellow haired girl introduced herself. Wally stuck his tongue out at Artemis in response.

"Superboy," was all the boy in the black shirt said.

"I'm Miss. Martian, but you can call me Megan," the green skinned girl happily told her.

"Robin," the dark haired boy told her as he pointed to himself. Experiment 147 wondered why he pointed to himself. Was he worried that she was to stupid to comprehend that when he said Robin he was referring to his name.

This thought was forgotten when someone else began to talk. It was the boy who had answered her questions before they got on the ship. "I am Aqualad, my real name is Kaldur'ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur," he told her.

She wondered why some of them had two names, or even three. She wondered what name to use for the ones with more than one. She considered asking them, they had answered all her questions so far, but she decided to ask something more important. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Mount Justice," Megan answered. Experiment 147 had no idea where that was.

"Ok," she answered, pretending that she knew.

There was silence for a few minutes. "Do you know what those men back at the lab were?" Superboy asked, breaking the silence. It took a second for Experiment 147 to know what he was talking about, but then reality dawned on her.

"Experiments 98-141, they are commonly referred to as Beast," she informed them.

That is what they were beasts. They were not men, not anymore. They had been the project before her. They were meant to be the perfect hit men. Unable to be affected by their emotions. It backfired, they were savage, and would kill anything they could get their hands on. Even the people they were supposed to work for.

The scientist were to hard headed to call the project what it was, a failure. So they continued to try and control them. Eventually they were able to grasp some control, but at a great cost. They lost a lot of time on the project that could barely be called a success. It also cost many workers of the lab their lives. The Beasts were stupid, strong, and bloodthirsty, not a good combination.

Superboy was going to press the matter further, but did not get the chance before they began to land. Experiment 147 watched as a large mountain came into view, and two large doors opened as they got closer.

Megan gracefully maneuvered the ship and landed it. Experiment 147 assumed that this was Mount Justice. She watched as Megan lowered the ramp to let them out of the ship. She watched as they all got up and began to walk out of the ship. Once they had all stood up, she followed suit, and got off the ship behind them.

They walked onto the cold floor of the hanger. She looked around and saw a man that seemed to have been waiting for them. He was dressed in manly black, and had a black cowl over his face with long pointed ears.

The man looked at her, she kept his gaze. Until she was distracted by the bio ship. She watched as it's shape changed. It know looked like a red sphere. She looked at Megan, "I put it to sleep," Megan answered her question before she even got to asked it.

"I didn't know that ships required sleep," Experiment 147 said. She had been told about ships, and knew how they worked, and what they do. But she had never been told that they slept.

"Robin, take her to the sick bay. I will meet you both there shortly," the man in black told Robin.

"Ok," Robin told him. "Come on," he motioned for the girl to follow him.

Experiment 147 obediently followed Robin through the halls. They came to a door that slid open, and they walked in. She was immediately overwhelmed by the distinct smell of chemicals. A smell that she had come to associate with the lab.

She took a step back. "I am not sick," the girl stammered in a whisper. She wanted nothing, but to put as much distance as possible between herself, and the sick bay. The girl suddenly considered the possibility that Martinez may have been wrong. That they were bad people, who were not going to help her.

It took Robin only a second to put together what was upsetting the girl. "Hey, it's ok. We aren't going to hurt you," Robin tried to comfort her.

"Then why am I here," she said, referring to the room they were currently standing in.

"Batman," who she assumed was the man in black, "is going to make sure your healthy. Make sure your not sick," he answered. The girl seemed to accept this, and stepped back into the room.

They stood in silence waiting for Batman. Experiment 147 still seemed tense, ready to run if need be, but the initial cold terror had died. Robin wanted to kill the silence which had quickly become uncomfortable. "You can trust us. We're gonna help you, I promise," Robin said, hoping that if the girl was at least not so tense that maybe the silence would be bearable.

The girl looked at him. "You promise," her voice was full of uncertainty.

"I promise," Robin said.

"A promise is a big deal. Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes wide, and very serious.

"Yes I'm sure," Robin wished for the silence to return.

The silence did return, but the girl was visibly less tense. Robin found it very strange. What he had said had been simply trying to calm her down. He had used the word promise without thinking about it. The word had not held any real weight to for many years.

Batman finally joined them. Robin assumed that he had been de-briefing the rest of the Team. He got the girl to sit down. He shone a light in both her eyes, and checked her throat. His eyes briefly looked at the bruise on her cheek, it was practically healed and barely noticeable.

He picked up a needle. "I'm going to take some blood," he told her. The girl held her hand close, and looked at Robin. She seemed very unsure. An idea suddenly struck Robin, "I promise," he only mouthed the words, but the girl got what he was saying. She looked back at Batman and let him take her arm. He put the needle into the vein and took the blood. The girl looked nervous, but did not object. Robin was surprised. He had not expected for 'I promise,' to work so well.

"Kid Flash mentioned that you could form energy from your hands," Batman said to Experiment 147.

"Yes," the girl said. She pulled her hands out in front of her. Concentration was painted on her face. An orb of white energy formed in her hands. Suddenly it grew in size leaped from her hands and hit the light above her. Causing it to burst.

The girls face was contorted into a look of anguish. "Oh, no, no, no. I am so sorry. I can usually control it, but sometimes when I am stressed, or scarred, or something else it becomes hard to control," the girl rambled.

She was going to continue, but Batman lifted his hand. He was going to put it on her shoulder, hoping it would get her to be quiet. The girl saw this. She brought her hands up to block the blow that she thought was coming. Batman saw the way the girl reacted and put his hand down.

"It's not a big deal. The light can be fixed," Batman told her with a flat tone. The girl looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, we have plenty of extra light bulbs. It will only take a couple minutes to fix," Robin told her a fake smile plastered on his face.

Batman had been planning on asking the girl more questions, but felt she had been through enough stress today. "Until further notice you will live here with Megan and Superboy," Batman said, and with that he walked out of the room.

"Lets go find the others," Robin said. The girl nodded and they left the room.

"Only Megan and Superboy?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, their the only ones who live here all the time, but the rest of us spend a lot of time here. I'll be back here tomorrow," he told her. He hesitated before continuing, "Batman wasn't going to hurt you. He never will, none of us will. Do you know that?" he did not want to bring it up, but he also felt that it needed to be taken care of.

She did not say anything, but she nodded her head. Acknowledging that she had heard him. They arrived to were all the others were gathered. Wally ran up to them, a half eaten Twinkie in his hand, "How did it go?" he asked.

"Fine," Robin replied curtly.

"Oh, ok," Wally understood immediately that things did not go 'fine,' but he also understood that his friend did not want to explain what happened. So he left it alone.

They all talked for a few minutes about nothing of any importance. Experiment 147 was very quiet during all of it. She seemed to be lost in thought.

Wally looked at the clock, it was 6:30 on a Sunday afternoon, "oh, man. It's getting late. I still have homework to do," Wally said.

"You had the whole weekend. Why did you wait till know to do it?" Artemis said, following him to the zeta beam.

The blue light surrounded Wally, and before he could respond he was gone. Artemis went behind him, "Bye," she said as she waved goodby to them. Once they were both gone Aqualad spoke, "I should be heading home as well," and with that Kaldur walked off to return to his home in Atlantis.

A few minutes later Batman joined them, and him and Robin walked to the zeta beam to return to Gotham. They were about to leave when Robin felt a light tape on his shoulder. He turned around to see Experiment 147 standing behind him.

She was about half an inch shorter than him. So he had to look down a little to make eye contact. Which was a strange occurrence for a boy who had always been the shortest, and had always had to look up, never down.

"Yeah," he said, wondering what she wanted.

"I know," she said. Robin had no idea what she was talking about.

"Know what?" he asked genuinely curious.

"I never answered your question, and that's my answer, I know," she told him. Now Robin understood.

"Oh, ok. That's good, I'm glad you know that," he told. He now knew what she had been thinking about. The girl smiled, she seemed to have been doing that a lot today. Robin smiled two.

"See you tomorrow," he said, chuckling a bit.

"Bye," and with that the strange little girl walked away, and joined Megan and Superboy.

As the blue light surrounded the two of them, Batman looked down at him, although Robin could not see through the mask, he was positive that his eyebrow was raised. "It's nothing," Robin told him even though that was not exactly true.

**I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.(:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

Megan, Superboy, and Experiment 147 stood in the living space of the Cave, next to the kitchen. Megan looked at the girl, "We need to get you something else to wear," she said. The girl was wearing a thin cotton dress that fell an inch above her knees. It was well worn and needed to be replaced.

Megan tried to think of something that she could wear, at least until they could take her shopping to get some clothes. Superboy came up with a solution. He took of his black shirt with a red S shield and handed it to the girl.

Megan blushed a little, "yes, that covers the top, but she still needs pants to wear," Megan said. The girl held up the shirt up to herself. It was way to big for her. It went to around an inch or so above the hem of her dress. Superboy came up with another idea.

"Not if she wore it as a dress," Superboy said. Megan considered that for a second.

"That's a wonderful idea," she decided. "Come on," she grabbed the girl's wrist and took her to get changed.

Megan lead her to a door that lead to a bathroom. She opened the door and let Experiment 147 in. "Here are two rags. You can use them to wash yourself off a bit. Wet one, and use the other to dry off," she told her as she handed her the two hand towels. "If you need anything, I'll be right outside the door," with that Megan closed the door.

Experiment 147 ran up to the door, and pulled it opened. "You didn't get changed. Is something wrong?" Megan asked. Experiment 147 did not want to tell her the truth, that she had been afraid that the door would not open. She shook her head, and quickly closed the door again.

Experiment 147 then slipped off the dirty dress. She picked up one of the rags, and wet it just as Megan had told her. She wiped off her legs, and arms using the damp rag. She sat down on the toilet lid to wipe off her feet.

It was then that she saw that there was a cut on the bottom of her left foot that was bleeding. She concluded that she must have stepped on something while in the woods. She cleaned it off, then dismissing it as unimportant.

She used the dry rag to get all the water off. Then she picked up the black shirt and pulled it over her head. She looked in the mirror. Superboy had been right, she could wear it as a dress. She then opened the door with the dress and rags in her hand. Megan smiled upon seeing her, she took the dirty rags and dress from her hands and went down the hall. Experiment 147 followed her.

They went back to were Superboy was standing. Megan looked at the girl, she felt like something was missing. "Hello Megan," she exclaimed as she figured out what was missing. "Stay right here. I'll be right back," she told them as she flew off down a passageway.

She returned to them in a few minutes. The dirty cloths that had been in her hands, had been replaced with a piece of twine. She glided up to the girl. Superboy watched curiously as Megan wrapped the string around the girl's abdomen just under her chest. She pulled it tight and then tied it in a big bow in the front. She adjusted the shirt a bit then took a step back to observe her work.

Megan nodded her head in a approval. "Know it looks more like a dress," Megan said. Superboy grunted his approval.

"I'm gonna go put a shirt on," he told them as he walked down a hall that lead to his room.

Experiment 147 considered how different the makeshift dress felt compared to her cotton one. The black dress was made of a thicker material than her cotton one. It also felt big on her shoulders. Her dress had, had thin straps like a tank top. Not actual sleeves. The string that was being used as a belt also felt different.

"I'm going to start making dinner. Do you want to help?" Megan asked her.

"OK," Experiment 147 replied.

"I was going to do spaghetti, does that sound OK?" Megan said as she began to get whats she would need out of the cupboards.

"Sure, sounds great," the girl replied, not really knowing what spaghetti was.

Superboy walked into the kitchen wearing a new shirt. "We're making dinner. Do you want to help?" Megan asked.

"I have nothing better do," Superboy answered.

Megan filled a pot with water, and put it on the hot stove to boil. She pulled out a pan for the sauce. "Come here," she beckoned for the girl to come towards her. The girl did as she was told. Megan put the pan down on a different burner than the water. She opened the jar that held the sauce, and handed it to the younger girl. The girl looked at it absently. "Pour it into the pan," Megan instructed her.

The girl hesitantly began to pour the red sauce into the pan, afraid that she would do it wrong. "Good," Megan praised Experiment 147. "Know whenever it begins to bubble, stir it with this," Megan handed her a wooden spoon. The girl took it, and began to watch the sauce cook.

Megan smiled, glad to be the teacher, instead of the student. A role that she had become very accustomed to. She turned to Superboy. "Can you do the bread?" she asked him.

"Sure," he grabbed the bread of the counter and began to get it ready to go in the oven.

He looked at the package to get the temperature that he should preheat the oven to. Megan had shown him before how to use the oven. The water in the pot began to boil. Megan pulled out the noodles and began to break them, and drop them into the pot of boiling water.

The oven let out a short buzz, letting Superboy know that it was know at the right temperature. He then place the bread in the oven, and set the timer. Grabbing three plates, he walked of to go set the table. Megan looked at Experiment 147, the girl had not let her eyes leave the cooking sauce since Megan handed her the spoon.

Megan looked over at the noodles. She stirred them. Deciding that they were done, she used her powers to levitated the pot, and strainer over to the sink. Once she had strained the noodles she poured them into a large bowl, and levitated them to the table were Superboy had know placed not only plates, but also silverware.

Megan looked at the sauce, thinking that is should be done. "Can I see this," Megan gently took the spoon from the girl. Megan put some sauce on the spoon, and brought it up to her lips. She let go of the spoon, and levitated it to the sink. "That's really good," Megan praised as she turned off the stove, and poured the cooked sauce into a bowl along with a spoon.

Megan was about to send the bowl into the kitchen, but then got a better idea. "Here," she handed the bowl to Experiment 147. "Put it on the table," she said. The girl nodded her eyes looking down intently at the sauce as she walked off.

The oven buzzed, Megan got the bread out and left it to cool for a couple minutes. She walked over, and rested her elbows on the counter. She could see the table were they would be eating soon. She saw Superboy show the girl were she could put the sauce.

Something about that scene, made Megan think about a father, and daughter. She felt her cheeks grow hot, as she thought about what that would make her. It was a ludicrous thought. She suspected that it was brought on by the fact that they were all making dinner together. Something that Megan had gathered as a common ritual that most families on earth participated in.

It could also be that the girl was so much smaller than Superboy, and the fact that they were both wearing the same shirt, well dress for the girl. Something that Megan had also concluded was a ritual on earth. Although not as common as making dinner. She had also gathered that it was usually a parent, and child that participate in the ritual. Megan could understand why it occurred to her, but it did not change the fact that it was a ludicrous thought.

"You ok Megan?" Superboy asked. Megan smiled, trying to forget the crazy thought.

"Yeah I'm fine," Megan replied. She then put the bread onto a plate, and went to join the others at the table.

They all sat down, and began to serve themselves. Experiment 147 watched what they did, and tried to copy their movements. She watched as the placed the fork in the food, and twirled it around. She tried to do this also. She took her first bite, and her face lite up. "What do you think?" Megan asked her.

"It's really, really good," the girl replied.

Experiment 147 smiled a goofy smile as she continued to eat. Megan smiled a more soft and subtle smile. Excited to be able to introduce the young girl to this little piece of earth costume. Superboy smiled a half smile. Just because everyone else was happy, and that made him feel happy.

They were half way through their meal, when Megan spoke up. "Me, and Conner have to go to school tomorrow," Megan told her.

"Conner?" Experiment 147 asked.

"Yes, that's Superboy's earth name," Megan told her. Experiment 147 looked at Superboy.

"Should I call you Conner?" she asked him. Superboy shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," he told her.

"Am I going to school?" she asked.

"Not know, but Batman may enroll you in a school later," Megan told her.

"So I'll be here alone?" the girl asked.

"No Red Tornado will be here," Megan told her. The conversation died after that.

Once they were done, and all of the dishes had been put away. Megan decided to give Experiment 147 a tour of the Mountain. They walked through the many hallways. Megan showed her all the room. It had been then that she had met Red Tornado.

It had been a brief meeting. They talked for a little while. He told her that he hoped her stay here would be pleasant, and then they went their own ways.

By time they had finished the tour, it was getting late. Megan showed Experiment 147 to the room she would be staying in. "Goodnight," she said, and walked out the door. The door closed behind Megan as she left. Experiment 147 immediately panicked. She ran to the door afraid that it would not open. That they had locked her in.

The door immediately opened. She sighed in relief as she ran into the hallway. Megan was no longer their, she had already rounded the corner. The girl turned around to face the door that automatically closed, behind her. She slumped down onto the floor in the middle of the hallway staring at the closed door. Adrenaline pumped through her veins causing her to feel jittery.

Experiment 147 tried to calm herself down. Taking deep breaths. She was not sure how long she sat like that in the middle of the hallway, but she finally convinced herself to go back in to the room. Fiddling with the controls on the door, hoping that she could get it to stay open.

When she thought she had gotten it, she took a step back. Waiting for the door to close. It did not, Experiment 147 was flooded with relief. She walked across the room. Inspecting it. Their was a closest on one side, a desk with a lamp on it, and a bed. Not a cot, but a bed.

She walked over to the bed taking a second to run her fingers over the light blue sheet before pulling them back. Climbing into the bed, and laying her head on the pillow. It was wonderful, she could not feel springs digging into her body. The sheets where thick enough to actually supply her with some warmth.

Her tired mind drifted to all the things that had occurred today. Only that morning she had been sitting on the uncomfortable cot in her cell at the lab, and know she was in the real world, and did not have to kill, something she had always wanted.

She thought about how nice everyone had been to her. No one other than Martinez had ever treated her like that before. Like a real person with opinions, and emotions. She was safe.

Experiment 147 suddenly thought about something that had happened a few years back. She had been sitting on her cot in her cell. She had spent a lot of time sitting on that cot over the years.

Ms. Martinez had come in. She could not remember exactly how they had gotten on to the subject, but what she did remember exactly was what Martinez said. "What kind of monster could be so cruel to another human," Experiment 147 suspected that she might have been ranting about something that had happened on the news, but could not be sure.

"Are the scientist monsters?" Experiment 147 had asked Martinez. Martinez had not known what to say.

"No I don't think their monsters," her voice did not back up her words, but she was not going to call people she worked for monsters.

"Then I must not be human, that's the only way they could treat me the way they do without being monsters," Experiment 147 concluded.

Martinez's heart broke as she heard those words. She pulled the girl into a hug. "Their the monsters," she said not caring that she worked for them anymore.

"But you said," Experiment 147 had tried to protest.

"Forget what I said, I was wrong," she told her.

"Then why do let them do it? If it's wrong" the girl asked.

"I tried to look at it as necessary, 'you have to crack a couple eggs to make an omelet,' but that is also wrong. I can't promise you that it will be anytime soon, but I will get you away from these monsters. I will give you a better life," Martinez promised.

It had taken her a few years, but Martinez had been true to her promise. Experiment 147 smiled, she away from the monsters. She looked at the open door in the dark. She was free. The girl bolted up right in the bed. She felt her face, it was wet.

She was crying, it had taken her a minute to find out that that was what had cause her face to become wet. But it still did not make sense. Why was she crying.

Crying was something you did when you were in great physical pain, yes her foot hurt a bit, but not enough to make her cry, or when you are sad, and Experiment 147 was most definitely not sad. In fact she was the happiest she had ever been in her life.

**So happy to have another chapter finished. Hope you liked it, but either way leave me a review, and tell me what you think, please(:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Sorry for the wait, but my computer is now fixed. This chapter is the shortest chapter so far, it's kinda a filler chapter. I still a nice chapter, at least that's what I think.**

For the first time in years Experiment 147 slept soundly. Nightmares did not invade her sleep even once. Her eyelids fluttered as she awoke, not screaming or covered in sweat. She simply woke up. Her heart rate quickened a bit as she tried to remember where she was, but it took her only a second to remember.

She looked over at the clock, 5:41 in the morning. She was not sure if that was to early to wake up or not. She knew how to read a clock, but time was never a concern of hers. There had not been any windows at the lab. No way to tell day from night, hours from weeks, months from years. To her as she would sit inside those pale walls, time could very well not have existed.

She swung her legs out from under the covers, and stood up. Turning around she fixed the sheets a bit, so that it did not look so messy. Experiment 147 walked to the door, that was still open, and walked out into the hallway.

She picked a direction, and walked down the hall. Not really knowing where she was going. She passed many rooms, and eventually she found herself in the kitchen. She had not been trying to go to the kitchen, but that is where she found herself.

Looking at the digital clock on the oven, it read 6:00AM. She sat down. Sitting in the silence. It was very peaceful. She heard the sound of someone coming from down one of the halls. Looking up she saw Superboy walk in to the kitchen.

He looked at her, and without saying anything he put some bread in to the toaster. He waited for the toaster to finish toasting the bread, and once it was he pulled out the two pieces, and put butter on both.

"Here," he said as he held out one of the pieces to Experiment 147. She looked up at him not sure if she should take it. "Do you want it, or not," Superboy asked getting slightly impatient.

"Yes please," the girl said as she took the bread from his hand. She took a bite, "Thank you."

"No problem," Superboy responded.

They both continued to eat. Experiment 147 recognized the taste. It was not normal bread, that she had eaten everyday at her meal. No that bread was floppy, and hard to swallow. This was the crunchy bread that the scientist would sometimes give her as a treat if she did something that was good enough to deserve a reward. They would call it 'toast.'

Megan walked in a few minutes later. She looked around and saw Experiment 147, "Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you had gone, I had checked your room, and you weren't there," Megan said.

"Should I have stayed in my room?" Experiment 147 asked.

"No, no, it's fine," Megan reassured her, as she got an apple from the fridge.

They ate their breakfast, and then Superboy, and Megan grabbed their bags for school. Red Tornado came to make sure they left on time. "Bye," Megan said. Superboy waved as they left. Experiment 147 just stood there, her thought feeling very dry.

Red Tornado walked off down a hall. Experiment 147 watched him go. She stayed still rooted to the spot where she stood, hoping they would return soon. She was not sure how long school lasted.

In Nevada hidden by the desert, was a large building. Three figures stood in a small room located within the building. The room had a desk with a chair behind it, and a computer on top of it. There were filing cabinets along one wall.

A woman sat in the chair behind the desk. Her name was Ms. Davidson, and this was her office. The other two figures were Mr. Moore, and his assistant, Ms. Taylor

Davidson tried to keep her anger under control. "I will make this simple and ask you only two questions. One, who broke in? And two, what did they steal?" she snarled at the man.

"It was a group of Justice League sidekicks," Moore replied.

"The Justice League," she roared at him.

"Only their kids," he said sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter if their kids were involved. They no doubt know about the lab by know. Get all equipment, and people out. Make sure to be extra careful with the experiment," Davidson's patience was wearing thin.

"Now please tell me what they took, and hope that it wasn't to important" she asked. Moore's heart drops he had been trying to avoid this for as long as possible.

"It was the experiment ma'am," he stammers.

"What," Davidson roared as she came out from behind her desk.

Taylor was shocked to see Moore so terrified. She had become so used to people being afraid of him, not the other way around. She supposed that it did make sense though. At the facility in Virginia, he was the boss, but Davidson was the boss of all the facilities, she was his boss.

"Get it back," Davidson is know in his face, all control of her anger is gone.

"But ma'am the Justice League," Moore whimpered.

"I don't care. Get that experiment back, or it will be your head. Are we understood," Davidson spits the words at him. Moore nods.

"Then get out of my office," Davidson yells at him.

"Yes ma'am," Moore squeaked

He scurries out the room closely followed closely by Taylor. Once they were both inside the private jet, Moore turns to Taylor. "We must get it back," he told her.

"It would be suicide Sir, the Justice League would stop us," Taylor tells him.

"If we don't, then we are both screwed," he replied.

"Don't you mean you would be screwed Sir," she said.

"No, if I go down. I'm taking you with me Hun," he replies. Taylor looks over at him.

"How do you suggest that we get it back Sir?" Taylor asked.

Page Break

Experiment 147 sat down in the same spot were she had previously been standing. She hoped that they would return soon. She would of continued to sit there, but her stomach began to protest. She tried to ignore it's pleas for food, but eventually they became to great.

She stood up, and walk down the hallway that lead to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen she looked though the cupboards. She did not know what to get. She could recognize food when she saw it, but not all the colorful packaging. Eventually she settled on a couple pieces of bread.

She held the floppy pieces of white bread in her hand, and looked at the rectangular machine that Superboy had used on the bread that morning. Inspecting the machine with her fingers, until she thought she figured out how it worked.

Placing the two pieces of bread in the slots, and then pulling the lever down. The bread disappeared into the machine. She stood their waiting, she remembered that Superboy had to wait for it that morning.

She jumped when the bread popped out. She pulled them both out, but immediately dropped them on the counter when her fingers were consumed with a painful heat. Staring at the two pieces of bread, that were know toast, she waited for them to cool.

The smell of the toast was intoxicating. 'Patience is a virtue,' the scientist had hammered that fact into her head. Teaching her to wait until the right time to strike came. Timidly she poked the toast with a single finger. It was warm, but no longer painful to the touch.

She ate slowly savoring each bit of the toast. It made her feel happy. To others, it would seem pointless. A piece of toast, that was usually tossed at her, but to Experiment 147 it had meant the world to her.

It was the only recognition she ever got for doing something right, except from Martinez, who would actually voice her praise, but the others would not. All they would do was toss her a piece of burned bread.

After finishing the toast Experiment 147 stood there for a second, enjoying the pleasure that she felt. She considered going back to where she had been before, but decided against it. Instead she began to walk around the mountain. Trying to get familiar with all the passageways, and where they lead.

Yes, Megan had given her a tour the night before, but it had only been a quick tour, and had not given her enough time to learn her surroundings. 'Learn your surroundings. Know the quickest escape routes, and objects that can be used as weapons if necessary. Be prepared for anything,' that had been something the scientist had taught her to always do.

As she walked down each hall, she tried doors to see which ones where locked, and which ones were not, and if they were not locked where did they lead. She looked for quick escape routes, checked vents that she could fit in if she needed to.

She also kept her eyes open for anything that could be used as a weapon. Experiment 147 hated violence, and did not enjoy hurting other people for no reason even though it was what she had been trained to do.

The voice from the zeta beam computer rang through the mountain as it announced the arrival of Superboy, and Miss. Martian. The young girl hurried through the halls to meet the pair. "Hello," Megan greeted as she changed her skin back to it's natural green.

"Hey," Superboy greeted with along with a curt wave. The girl returned their greeting and followed them as they walked to the living area.

"The others will probably be arriving soon," Megan told them, and sure enough they did. It was not much later before Kaldur arrived, and then Robin joined them, and Artemis arrived only minutes after Robin.

The others had been holding a conversation about homework. Experiment 147 listened curiously not having anything to add. It was then that Wally decided to show up.

"Dude, what took you so long?" Robin asked. The others had been there for over an hour now.

"I had to stay after. I got a detention," Wally told them

"For what?" Robin asked. Experiment 147 wondered what a detention was.

"I was late to class to many times, so I got a detention," Wally told them.

"Fastest kid alive, gets detention for being late," Artemis pointed out the irony of it.

Wally shrugged off the comment. "Hey why are you wearing Superboy's shirt?" he asked Experiment 147.

"I didn't have anything else to wear," The girl told him.

"We were thinking that we should take her shopping to get her some cloths," Megan said.

"Yeah, we probably should," Robin said.

"Why don't we go know, and get it over with," Superboy said.

"Yes we can go, but we will have to be quick. It is already getting late to be going out," Kaldur said.

Page Break

Megan put the bio ship on camouflage, and landed it on the outskirts of the Happy Harbor Mall parking lot. The seven of them got off, and walked to the front of the mall.

Robin wished that they had something else for Experiment 147 to wear. The shirt was not so much a problem. Sure it would probably earn them some strange stares, but those can be ignored. He just wished they had shoes for her, but there was nothing they could do about it. They would get her shoes, and cloths while they were there.

Once they were inside Artemis stated that she needed to get a book for school. Megan decided to go with her. Kaldur also decided to go, he had finished the book that he had been reading, and wanted to get another. He told the others to meet back at the doors in two hours.

As Kaldur walked away he wondered if it was a bad idea to put the three boys in charge of finding cloths for Experiment 147, and hoped that he would not come to regret it later.

**Hope you enjoyed. Please review, tell me what you liked, or what you didn't like.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Yes, another chapter. Two days in a row, I am very proud of myself :) This chapter is around the same length as the last one, but it's not a filler. Some important stuff happens in this chapter.**

The three boys, and Experiment 147 walked through the mall to the closest shoe store. Experiment 147 stayed very close to the other three. Her heart pounded inside her chest. Never before had she been around so many people. Anyone of them could be a person that the lab had hired to capture her.

They walked into the shoe store, that was thankfully not crowded. The cashier, a scrawny boy who looked to be in his late teens, gave them a strange look as they walked in. The boy did not say anything, only shook his head, and looked back at the car magazine that was in his hands.

It did not take long for them to finish in the store. The hardest part was finding what size shoe the girl wore, but once that was done it was only a matter of minutes before they had picked out a couple pairs of shoes in different styles. They also grabbed some socks as they left.

They walked up to the pimple faced cashier, and checked out. Once they were outside the store they sat down at the nearest bench. Superboy pulled out one pair of tennie shoes and ripped the tags off. He then handed them to the girl, who slipped them, and a pair of sock on.

"We should go buy some clothes," Robin said as the girl stood up off the bench. Wally groaned.

"I hate clothes shopping," he complained.

"No one cares what you think KF," Robin said as he looked at the mall map trying to find a clothing store that was close to where they were.

He found one, and they were on their way. It was in a more crowded part of the mall. It was not packed with people, but there were more people about than you would expect to be on a school night. Experiment 147 walked closer to Robin. Trying to get away from the other people thay walked close to her as they passed. Anyone of them could be carrying a concealed weapon.

She felt someone accidentally brush up against her as they passed. She side stepped to get away, but in doing so she bumped in to Robin. Who in turn bumped into Wally. Superboy looked at the three. He had been walking a little ways from the others, so he was saved from being involved in the collision.

Wally shoved Robin for walking into him. Robin quickly recovered, and continued to walk towards the store. "You ok?" he asked Experiment 147. He was not wondering if she had been hurt or not, but if something was bothering her.

"I'm fine," she said, but she was lying, and Robin knew it.

He watched as she stepped closer to him again when a group of teenage girls walked by. It clicked inside his mind. He slowed down, so that he fell behind the others a bit, and then walked to the other side of Experiment 147. So that she was now walking in between him and Wally.

The girl seemed to relax a bit, she still kept an eye on anyone who walked by though. They walked in to the clothing store. It was more crowded than the shoe store, and also larger. They went to what they guessed would be her size.

Finding cloths was much harder than finding shoes. They had to make many guesses to find what fit, and all the weird looks, and whispers they were getting from the employes, and other shoppers did nothing to help.

Superboy growled when a teenage girl of around his age whispered something to her blond friend. only the two girls, and Superboy, with his super hearing, could hear what she said. The girl looked at him, and then said something else to the blond. They both laughed as they hurried out of the store.

Once they had finally finished they quickly checked out, and left the store. Happy to escape all the stares. Robin made sure that when they left that Experiment 147 was walking in between him, and Wally.

"Well, it could have been worse," Wally said trying to lighten the mood. Superboy just grumbled, the store had put him in a particularly sour mood, but who could blame him. Unlike the others he had been able to hear all the things that people had whispered about them.

Robin pulled out a shirt, and a pair of shorts. He handed them to Superboy who pulled the tags off. They found the nearest bathroom, and waited outside for the girl to change. When she walked out she was wearing a blue shirt, and blue jean shorts.

She handed Superboy his shirt back. "Thank you," she said. Instead of saying anything Superboy just nodded in acknowledgment, and stuffed the shirt into one of the bags.

They went in to a couple other stores, and bought some other things that she would need. Once they were done Wally looked at the watch on his wrist. They still had a little bit of time before they had to meet the others.

They walked in to a CD store. It was practically empty except for a few people. Wally walked off looking for the newest album by a band he listened to. Superboy looked at all the covers not really knowing what to think.

Robin walked aimlessly through the store. The only reason they had gone in this store was that Wally wanted to, and they had time to kill. Robin thought they had done pretty good. They had gotten everything she would need, and did not cause any major trouble.

He looked behind him when he heard someone approaching him. It was Experiment 147, she seemed very at ease in the nearly empty store. "I had a question," she told him.

"Yes," Robin said inviting her to continue.

"What was that square thing you would give to the people behind the desks?" she asked him.

"This," Robin pulled out the credit card Batman had given him. Batman had known that they would have to take the girl shopping at some point, so he had given Robin a credit card to use whenever they did. The girl nodded. Robin handed it to her, and let her hold it in her hands.

"It's a credit card," he told her.

"What does it do?" she asked him as she ran her fingers over the card.

"People use it to pay for stuff instead of money. Every month a bill will come in, and then you have to pay for all the stuff you bought using the card," he tried to explain. The girl seemed to understand, and handed the card back to him.

"That means you spent money on me," she said looking at him. Robin was not sure if it was guilt, or gratitude in her eyes, or maybe it was both.

"Yeah," he said, and nodded his head.

"I have no way of paying you back," she said.

"That's ok, you don't have to pay me back," Robin said even though it was not his money, but Batman's that they had used. The girl absently nodded her head as she digested this.

"Thank you," she told him.

"No problem," Robin told her with a smile.

Experiment 147 smiled back, and then continued to walk through the store. Robin watched her go, 'what a strange girl,' he thought.

Someone spending money on her. Was a new concept to Experiment 147. Yes, the lab had spent a lot of money on making her, and the research that had gone in to it, but that had been different.

She saw Wally looking through a shelf filled with cd's. Walking over she looked at the shelf, not really sure what any of the covers meant. Wally looked at her, and then went back to looking for his cd.

"Yes," he cheered quietly when he found the CD. He stood up with it in his hands. He went to find where the others where in the store. Experiment 147 followed him. He told her about the band that made the CD as they went.

She listened intently as Wally talked, not paying attention to where she was walking. She felt herself walk in to what felt like a brick wall. She stumbled backwards, and was about to fall when someone grabbed her wrist. She looked up to see who had kept her from falling. She had expected to find Wally, but was shocked to find that the person holding her wrist was most definitely not Wally.

It was a boy that looked to be in his late teens to early twenties. He was well built, and had a mop of blonde hair a top his head. "Sorry about that, I didn't see you there," he apologized in a light southern accent. He released her wrist, and took a step back.

Experiment 147 could not speak, so Wally answered for her. "It's fine, just an accident." The boy nodded.

"Glad you didn't get hurt," he said. "Names John by the way, and this is my friend, Brad," he introduced himself, and the boy that Experiment 147 just now noticed was standing next to him.

The two boys showed no intention of moving. They were obviously waiting for them to introduce themselves as well. Wally tried to think fast, "My names Wally, and this is," Wally racked his brain for a name that he could tell them.

He looked around for the answer, but instead of seeing it. He heard it, as a song played over the store speakers. "Annie," he finished quickly. The two boys smiled.

"It was nice meeting y'all," John said as he walked away along with Brad. Wally let out a sigh of relief.

Robin walked up to them, closely followed by Superboy. "What did they want?" Superboy asked.

"One of them ran in to her. They were way to friendly wanted to know are names, and everything," Wally said.

"What did you tell them?" Robin asked concerned.

"I told them her name was Annie," Wally said. He looked down at his watch. "We should go find the others," he told them.

He walked up to the cashier pulled some cash out of his pocket, and payed for the CD. The cashier took the money, and handed him the bag that know held his CD, and his change. Wally thanked, and winked at the pretty girl behind the cash register.

The others where not at the doors when they got their. They all stood waiting for them to get there. Experiment 147 had not said anything since they left the store, she seemed to be deep in thought. "Is Annie my name now?" she asked Wally. Wally did not know what to say. "You told those people at the store that my name is Annie," she continued.

"Yeah, well that's because I couldn't tell them that Experiment 147 was your name," he said.

"Because it's not a real name?" she genuinely asked. Wally remembered what he had said the other day, and felt guilty.

"No Experiment 147 is a fine name," he stammered. The other two boys watched silently.

"But you said that it wasn't," the girl said. Wally could tell that he was confusing her.

"Well yeah I did say that," he said. Robin decided to cut in.

"Annie can be your civilian name," Robin explained.

"Ok I think I understand," She told him

Robin smiled glad that she understood.

"Know all you need is a last name," Superboy said. Robin nodded.

"Jackson maybe," Robin suggested.

"Or Smith," Superboy said.

"Is their any last name that you like?" Wally asked her. Experiment 147 thought for a second.

"Martinez," she said.

"Annie Martinez," Superboy said.

"It has a nice ring to it," Robin commented. She smiled, and nodded her head.

"I see the other," Superboy said. They all turned, and saw the others walking towards them.

"Sorry we are late. Did everything go ok?" Kaldur asked, hoping that it did.

"Everything went fine," Robin said. Kaldur felt relief flood him.

"Yeah we even gave Experiment 147 a civilian name," Wally said.

"Oh what is it?" Megan asked, excitedly.

"Annie Martinez," Annie told her.

"That's a very nice name," Kaldur told her as he corralled the group out through the mall doors.

They walked towards where Megan had left the bio ship. The sun had already set, and the stars twinkled over head. Megan, Kaldur, and Artemis walked up front talking about the books they had bought. Superboy walked silently next to them, his arms crossed over his chest.

Wally, and Robin walked a few feet behind them with Annie. She was looking up at the night sky. "Those are stars, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, those are stars, but you can see the moon, because it's a new moon," Robin told her. The girl smiled.

"It's beautiful," she said even though she felt that beautiful was to weak a word to use to describe such a breath taking scene.

"Yeah it is pretty nice, isn't it Annie," Wally said.

**Hope you enjoyed it. So I'm curious, can anyone guess what song it was that was playing in the store, that helped Wally come up with her name? There are two clues in the chapter, one is her name of course, which is said in the song a lot, and I'm not going to tell you what the other one is.**

**Please review. If you've been reading and enjoying (or not enjoying) this story. Please leave a review. I don't care how long or short it is. I just want to know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Ok, just in case anyone was interested. Experiment 147's name (Annie) came from Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.**

Inside a small run down motel, set in Texas close to the Mexican border, sat a woman in her mid twenties. She had black hair that was kept up in a pony tail, and deeply tanned skin.

The only light in the room was the soft glow of an old TV. Lily Martinez paid no attention to the TV, her mind was miles away. She thought of the girl. All she had up to save her, and Martinez did not even now if Experiment 147 had gotten out. She prayed that it had not all been in vain.

Her thoughts turned to the TV screen as a woman on the screen screamed something Spanish. The man she had been screaming at began to talk to her, Martinez assumed that he was trying to calm the woman down, but could not be sure. Her Spanish was very poor.

Martinez's thoughts drifted away from the TV again as she wondered if they were looking for her. She assumed that they would, but maybe not yet. The girl would be their top priority. Martinez was positive that they were already looking for Experiment 147, they would waste no time in beginning their search.

She wondered if she had really helped the girl at all. Even if the Justice League had gotten her out. It was only a matter of time before the lab found her, and made attempts at getting her back. She sighed turned off the TV, and lay back on the motel bed.

She lay on top of the covers, the Texas heat, and the broken air conditioning, made it impossible to even consider getting under the thin sheets. As she lay in the dark engulfed by the heat. Martinez came to a conclusion. She knew that she had known it all along, but until then it had only been a taunting whisper in the deep crevices of her mind. A problem for another day.

But know she had to acknowledged it. She could not put it off any more. The fact that Experiment 147 would never be able to live a safe life until the lab was destroyed. Not just the one facility, but all of them. The whole network.

Sleep began to pull at her. Closing her eyes she allowed it to come. She would think of a way to deal with the lab in the morning. She would put it off for one more day.

Page Break

The others left shortly after they arrived back at the mountain. Superboy, and Megan helped Annie take her bags to her room. Then they both left to go to there own rooms, and get some sleep.

Annie stood in the middle of the room staring out the open door. It was completely dark except for the lights in her room. She looked at the bags that sat on her bed.

Walking over to the bags. She began to take the contents of them out and lay them on the bed. Once that was done she took the empty bags, and threw them in the trash can next to the desk. Walking back to the bed she began to pull the tags off things.

Once that was done she put them in the closest. Cloths on hangers, shoes on the floor. Annie turned off the lights, and climbed into bed. She lay there staring at the dark ceiling, wishing that her body would do her a favor, and let her sleep.

But her body was not feeling like doing her any favors. She lay awake for hours staring at the ceiling, not knowing why she could not sleep. It was not until 5:07 in the morning that she fell in to blissful unconsciousness, but it was not long lived.

Feeling something shake her shoulder, she opened her eyes to find the source. It was Megan, she was already dressed for school, and had her books in the arm that she had not used to wake Annie up.

"Good Morning, Conner, and I are about to leave for school," Megan told her. Annie shook her head, and made her way to get up. Megan took a step back, and let Annie get up off the bed.

The two girls walked to where Superboy was waiting for Megan so they could both leave. Annie now felt wide awake as she watched the two leave. She waved at them, "Bye," she said. They both replied, and then they where gone.

Annie stood there for a second gripping the sides of the baggy sleep pants she was wearing. She felt a sudden wave of despair hit her. She was not sure why, but she felt miserable. Annie knew that she should not, everything was wonderful for her right now, but in that moment when she was all alone. She felt dreadfully lonely.

Her vision blurred. She stumbled backwards as the tears, of not joy, but sorrow, began to run down her cheeks. Sinking down on the wall she fell in to a lump on the floor. Her knees brought up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them.

All the stress of the last few days, preposterous fears, and doubts came bubbling to the surface. She felt so small, in such a big world. Annie missed Martinez. She wanted her to tell her that it was OK to sit there, and hold her as she cried. She remembered a time many years ago that Martinez had done that.

She had been much younger. One of the scientist had been training her. She could not remember exactly what the move had been. Only that she could not do. She spent many hours trying to do it, but could not.

The scientist, Mr. Whitley, though she could not remember the move. She could remember, and always would that name, Mr. Whitley. He had been a young brash man. He had been there for only a couple months at the time, but was still there the day the team got her out.

She had always been afraid of Mr. Whitley, since the first time she met him. He had been a cold, and cruel man, and had visited her nightmares many times over the years.

He was very impatient, and quick to resort to violence. That day had been no different than any other. His patience finally broke. She remembered the first strike as if it had happened only the other day, not years before.

It had been a sharp hit to the face. It had knocked her to the ground, she remembered blood flowing from her knee, as it hit the hard unforgiving ground. Many hits followed that, she could not remember the order that they had come in, nor the cruel taunts that came as well. Only bits and pieces where still there, and even then they where in the wrong order.

What she did remember, clear as day. Was later when she had been sitting in her cell. In a similar position to the one that she was in now. Tears flowing, and arms around herself. She remembered the door sliding open. Annie had been afraid at first that it would be Whitley, or anyone of the other scientist, but it had not. It had been the one person that would have mercy on her, Martinez.

Annie did not say anything, and neither did Martinez. Martinez had silently walked over to her, and sat on the floor next to her, and wrapped her arms protectively around the small, and broken girl. Annie had cried harder, and had wrapped her own small arms, one bandaged, around the older woman.

Martinez had sat their holding her until Annie cried herself to sleep. Once she had been asleep Martinez had picked her up, and placed her on the cot. Later that day Martinez would get a talk from Mr. Moore about not getting attached. It was not the first or, last time that she would get a talk similar to that from Moore.

Annie cried harder as she sat on the cold floor. She was so scared the world was so large, and confusing. She wanted Martinez to be there to explain stuff to her. To make it less scary. Annie's mind had finally had enough. It dropped her into a dreamless sleep.

Her eyes opened. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, it could have been minutes, or hours. What she did know was that she felt a little better. Now that she had gotten some sleep, the world did not seem quiet so scary.

She picked herself up of the ground. At first she felt unsteady as she walked to her room, but soon she found her footing. Once in her room, she pulled of the pajamas that she had been wearing, and slipped into a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt.

She then walked to the bathroom. Brushing her teeth, and combing out her tangled hair. She put the comb down once she was done with her hair. She turned the facet on, and cupping her hands under the flow of water. She splashed her face multiple times. Trying to wash off all of the bad feelings that she had been feeling earlier in the day.

Once she had dried of her face, she looked into the mirror. She tried to convince herself that she could do it. That she was among good people. That they would help her understand the very large, and confusing world, but it still did not change the fact that she missed Martinez.

Taking a deep breath. She went to the kitchen. She knew that she could not live on toast. Looking in the fridge she tried to find any form of protein. Finding a packed of lunch meet. She took a couple of the thin pieces out and ate them.

Looking at the clock she tried to remember the time that the others had return the day before. It was 1:37 in the afternoon. She did not think that it had been at this time. Sitting down at the table where she had eaten dinner with Superboy, and Megan her first night there. She tried to put what had happened that day behind her.

She did not want any of the others to know that she had been crying. She did not want to show that kind of weakness to them.

Annie tried to decide what to do. Now that her days where her own. She wanted to spend them in better ways than sitting around, and crying. She ran the schematics of the building in her head. Remembering where rooms where, and what was in them. Trying to find one that had something to kill the time.

She remembered a room that she felt would do fine. Walking threw the halls she came to the door that she was looking for. The door slid open automatically. Once inside Annie played with the controls like she did with her door to make it stay open.

It was not a small room, nor was it large. It had carpet, unlike most of the rooms in the mountain. It had shelves of books. Four along three of the walls, and five stood in the middle of the room. There where also chairs, and some desks.

Annie looked at the shelves, books. She could read very well. Which was perfect since most of the other things that she could use to take up her time required some kind of electronic device. She knew very little about electronics.

Looking through the shelves Annie looked for something to read. Picking up a book at random she took it and sat down, and began to read.

She read until the computer announced the arrival of Superboy. Annie marked her spot in the book, and hurried off to greet him.

"Where's Megan?" she asked when she saw that he was alone.

"She has cheer practice. She'll be here later," He told her. Annie nodded. She followed him as he went into the living area.

He sat down on the sofa, and pulled some paper, a book, and a pencil out of his bag. "What are you doing?" Annie asked him tentatively.

"Math homework," he responded. Annie fell quiet, and let him do what he was doing in silence. She sat down on a chair, and let thoughts consume her.

It was not long before the computer informed them that Artemis was there. She came storming in to the room shortly. Tossing her bag on one of the kitchen counters. "I hate my school, it sucks," the blond stated angerly, as she plopped down on the couch next to Superboy.

"You gonna tell us what happened," Superboy said as he put his now finished homework away.

"No," she snarled, but a few seconds later she did tell them what was wrong. "It's the students. There a bunch of rich snobs," Artemis said, now fuming.

The archer continued to rant, about different things about her school that she did not like. Annie tried her hardest to tune her out. It was not, that she did not feel for Artemis, and wish that her day had been better. It was just that it reminded her of when the scientist would get mad at her. She knew that Artemis was not mad at her. It was just the tone of her voice as she complained about her school.

As the girl continued to rant, Annie's feelings from earlier in the day began to crawl back. She began to miss Martinez again. The computer announced the arrival of Robin. Annie leaped from her chair, and went to greet him. Just to get away from the loud voices.

"Hey, Annie" Robin greeted her, as he saw her walk towards him.

"Hi," Annie said as they made their way back to the others. As they got closer Robin was able to hear the loud voices.

"Wow," he said, and looked at Annie.

"Artemis is talking about school," She told him. Robin nodded.

"Let's not go in there," he said, and turned around and went in the other direction.

Annie followed him. It was not long before they where back where they started, the room where the zeta beam tunnels were held. Robin typed some stuff into a computer, and then something appeared in the middle of the room.

Annie walked over to it curiously. It was some type of holographic table. She looked at Robin questioningly as he walked over to the table.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Air hockey," Robin replied with a smile.

**Yes, I do know that Aqualad, and Kid Flash where not in this chapter, or accounted for, but I did not forget about them. They just both had other stuff going on.**

**Anyways, please review. I love hearing what people think about my story. Good, or bad; short, or long, let me know what you think :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Ok, so my mom's been sick, and couldn't check this chapter. So sorry in advance for any grammar errors.**

"Air hockey?" Annie asked as she stared at the holographic table.

"Yeah, it's a game," Robin replied. He pointed to one end of the table. "Stand over there," he told her. Annie walked over to where he pointed, and Robin went to the other end. A large smile on his face.

"Ok so here's how you play," Robin began. "First put your hand on the table," Robin said as he put his own hand on the table. A light blue outline of a circle formed under his hand. Annie copied his movements. The same outline of a circle formed around her hand.

Another circle appeared on the table. This one was red, and was completely filled in. It began to glide towards Annie. She looked at Robin, having no idea what she was supposed to do. "Hit it," he said, and moved his own hand in a swiping motion as a demonstration.

Annie swiped her hand across the table, and hit the red circle as Robin had directed. It glided across the table towards Robin. When it was close enough he hit it gently back towards her. "Hit it again," he instructed as it slowly came towards Annie.

Annie did as he said. They continued to hit it back, and forth. "Ok, the point of this game is to get the puck in to the other persons goal," Robin said. He did not hit the puck the next time it came towards him. It slide in to his goal, and then appeared back in the middle of the table.

"That means you have one point. First person to seven wins. Got it?" he said. Annie nodded vigorously, as she hit the puck again, beginning to understand the simple game. They continued to hit it back, and forth.

Robin was not giving his all. He hit the puck gently so that it went slowly towards Annie. Knowing that the girl had never played before, he wanted to give her a chance. As the girl got used to playing the game. Robin began to try harder. He hit the puck in to her goal.

Annie watched wide eyed. As the puck went in to her goal, and reappeared in the middle of the table. It went towards Robin, and he hit it. Annie made sure not to miss it that time.

Annie decided to ask a question. "Where's Wally?" she asked. She had noticed that he had not showed up yet, and had wondered why that was.

"His family has guests over tonight for dinner. So he couldn't come to the mountain today," Robin told her, as he hit the puck towards her. Annie hit the puck once it was close enough.

"Will he be here tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah, we'll all be here tomorrow. Well everyone except Kaldur," Robin said. Kaldur would not be there for the rest of the week. He was staying at his home town in Atlantis until Saturday.

"So what have you been doing while the rest of us are at school?" Robin asked nonchalantly.

Annie stiffened, and missed the puck as it came towards her. The red puck slipped into her goal rewarding Robin with another point.

Annie felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "I've been reading," she replied. There was absolutely no way that she was going to tell him that she had been crying. Robin noticed how she stiffened, but decided to ignore it.

"What did you read?" he asked.

"I didn't look at the title," Annie replied. It was true. She had simply picked something up, and began to read. Taking no time to look at the title.

"Really," Robin said with a laugh in his voice. Annie nodded. She wondered if it had been wrong. If she should have known the title, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She could check the book for the title latter.

Robin saw the girl's discomfort at his friendly teasing.

"It must get boring around here with no one else around, but Red Tornado," Robin said changing the subject, just as the puck went in to his goal, and reappeared in the middle.

"It not really boring, just lonely," she replied sheepishly.

"Yeah Red Tornado's not much of a conservationist, is he?" Robin tried to keep the mood on the positive side.

"I don't really see that much of him," Annie replied hitting the puck as she talked. Robin nodded, smiling a bit as he hit the puck in to the girl's goal. They fell silent, and continued to play the game. Annie wanted to ask him something, but was not sure if she should. Eventually she decided to stay quiet. It could wait.

Robin smiled, and laughed a bit as he hit the puck in to her goal, and the computer announced him the winner.

"You played pretty well, for your first time," Robin told her light heartedly.

"Thank you," Annie replied.

"Want to play again?" he asked.

"Yes," Annie smiled. Robin also smiled, and laughed as he set up the game for another round.

They began to play the second round. The mood was very positive. Annie decided that now was as good a time as ever to ask her question.

"Am I going to go to school?" She knew that she had already asked Megan, and Superboy this, but she wanted to know if anything had changed. Besides she had caught on that Robin was Batman's partner. So if anyone was going to know it would be him.

The question caught Robin off guard, he nearly missed the puck as it came towards him. "It's just that if I'm going to be here for awhile, I thought maybe," Annie continued, and then trailed off.

"Yeah that's not a bad idea," Robin said. Him agreeing with her encouraged Annie to continue.

"And normal kids go to school, right," Robin nodded, and she continued. "So if I want to live a normal life. Then maybe I should go to school two," Annie finished.

That was not the only reason. The main reason was that she did not want to stay at the mountain with only Red Tornado there during the school week. Being there with only a robot for company made her lonely, and she did not want a repeat of what had happened that morning.

"If you really want to go to school. I can ask Batman about it," Robin said, as Annie hit the puck in to his goal.

"Would you really do that?" Annie ask him, as if she thought that he was not serious, and that it was just some kind of cruel joke.

"Sure," Robin hit the puck as he spoke.

"Thank you," Annie said gratefully.

They continued to play. Making occasional comments about the game. They had finished the second round, and had started the third when the computer announced the arrival of Megan.

Megan walked in carrying her books. "Hi Robin," she greeted him first. "Hi Annie," she finished with a wave. Annie was completely distracted from the game looked away, and waved at Megan. While she was distracted. Robin hit the puck in to her goal.

Annie saw that he had gotten another point, and looked at him outraged. "Whoops," Robin brought up his hands defensively, and laughed. Annie got an idea. While his hands where up she hit the puck in to his goal.

Robin gaped, and then began to laugh. Megan giggled as she flew off down the hallway to find the others. Annie smiled, and let out what may have been a laugh.

"You laugh a lot," she said to Robin. Robin shrugged.

"There are a lot of things in life to laugh at," he replied, and hit the puck again.

"I never really had anything to laugh at before," Annie said more to herself than to him.

Things fell silent. Robin did not know what to say to that.

"Was that the wrong thing to say?" Annie asked afraid that she had made a mistake.

"No, it's fine. I just didn't have anything to say in response," Robin said, wondering how he always seemed to end up in these weird conversations with her.

"Oh," Annie said, not having anything to say in response to what he said.

They continued to play the game, and the mood lightened. At the time they where on their third game, and the score was five, to six, in Robin's favor. Although Robin was not going to win, he had decided when they had started this round to let her win. Since he had won the last two game, but he also wanted to make it close. So that if was not obvious that he had let her win.

He let the puck slip in to his goal so that they where tied. They hit the puck back, and forth for the finale point. Robin did not immediately let it go in to his goal, but after a little while he let it slip past him. The computer announced Annie the winner.

She looked at him wide eyed.

"I won," she said in disbelief. Robin smiled.

"Yes," he said. The girl's face lit up. Robin immediately knew that it had been a good idea letting her win. "Come on, lets find the others. I bet Artemis is done ranting now," Robin said, as he turned off the holographic table.

They both walked to where the others where at. Megan was in the kitchen making what smelled like brownies. Superboy sat on the coach watching TV. Artemis was sitting at the table, doing what was most likely homework. Robin was glad that he had finished all his homework in study hall.

Robin sat down on the coach next to Superboy. He was watching a movie that was playing on TV. Robin could swear that he had seen it before, but could not put his finger on the name. Annie decided to go in to the kitchen where Megan was baking.

Annie helped her with the brownies. A few minutes later the two of them joined them in the living room. Waiting for the brownies to be done cooking in the oven.

"Oh, no," Megan exclaimed ten minutes later. Jumping up from where she had been sitting on the floor in front of the coach.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"I forgot to spray the pan with no-stick spray," Megan said.

"Does it matter?" Superboy asked, a little bit aggravated that he could not see the movie, because she was standing in front of him. Blocking the TV.

"There's nothing you can do about it now," Artemis said looking up from her homework. Megan sighed

"Your right," she said, and sat back down.

"I'm sure they'll come out fine," Robin comforted.

They all continued to watch the movie. Megan got up when the buzzer went of. Robin had been right. They came out fine. The only thing was that they where hard to get out of the pan, and came out in any shape, but a square. They still tasted fine, so everything was Ok.

Artemis joined them in front of the TV after she finished her homework. Megan had brought in the plate that had her not square brownies on it. Everyone had eaten one, and thanked her for it. Having never had one, or anything similar to a brownie before, Annie seemed to enjoy them the most.

They all watched the movie till the credits rolled. Then Artemis, and Robin got ready to leave. Before Robin left Annie went up to him.

"You will ask, won't you?" she said quietly. Unsure if she should be saying anything. Robin smiled, he has almost forgotten their conversation from earlier.

"Yeah, I'll ask," Robin told her.

"Bye," he said to everyone. Then Artemis, and Robin left.

Later that night as Robin stood in the Batcave, and Batman sat at the computer. He remembered what he had told Annie. "Bruce," Robin said. He used his adoptive father's real name since the only people in the cave where themselves, and Alfred, and he had his cowl off anyways.

"Yes," Batman responded. Not looking away from the computer.

"Well I was wondering if you where going to enroll Annie at a school?" Robin said. Batman looked at him curiously. Then Robin remembered that he had never told him about Experiment 147 getting the name Annie.

"Experiment 147, we gave her the name Annie Martinez," Robin wished he had worded it differently. He sounded like he was talking about naming a stray animal.

"I'm not sure if that would work," Batman began. He was going to continue, but was interrupted.

"We could say that she had been home schooled all her life," Robin said. Robin had thought about this earlier, and had come up with a way for it to work. Batman let out a low growl before continuing. Batman hated being interrupted.

"Yes that could work, but she would need some one to keep an eye on her," he said. Still not sure if this was a good idea.

"She could go to Gotham City Academy," Robin said. Batman nodded, beginning to see where this was going.

"We could say that Artemis was supposed to keep an eye on her," Robin continued. Which would work since Gotham Academy had High School, and Middle School in the same building.

"And Dick Grayson could make friends with her, and keep her out of trouble," Robin strained his real name as he spoke it. Batman considered what he had said.

"That is a good idea," Batman said.

"So will you do it?" Robin asked, quite proud of himself for thinking up this plan. Batman paused.

"Yes, I will," he said. Robin broke out in to a triumphant smiled.

**Ok, so now I am going to explain the school thing. Just in case anybody got confused. So how I have Gotham Academy is similar to my school. I go to a small private school. My school is only one building, but in that building we have grades Pre-K all the way through High School. So I decided why not have Gotham Academy be like that, but instead have only Middle thru High School.**

**Also I did it like that because the only way I could have her in a grade with someone on the Team was Robin (since Annie is 12, but could pass for 13), and all the others are in High School. This seemed the best solution to me. Just in case anybody is worried, Annie is NOT going to find out that Dick is Robin. His identity will stay a secret. I know that in some stories people had had Robin skip a grade, but in this story he hasn't, and is in 8th grade. Hope that helped clear things up.**

**Sorry about the long AN. If you have any questions about how I have the school set up, or a question about anything, please feel free to ask me. Either in a PM, or in a review. Speaking of reviews, I'd love to get some :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, or _A Princess of Mars._**

**This chapter is dedicated to Just-Another-FanFiction-Freak.**

**I was having a mild case of writers block as I tried to write the beginning of this chapter. I happened to read a PM that they sent while I was trying to figure it out. The PM was really nice, and inspired me to suck up my writers block, and write this chapter. So thank you, and please enjoy this chapter :)**

Annie sat in the library consumed by the content of the book that was in her hands. She recalled her conversation with Robin the day before. She stopped reading, and glanced at the front of the book, _A Princess of Mars, _by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Now if Robin, or anyone else, asked she would be able to tell them.

She saw someone out of the corner of her eye at the open door way. Annie felt a surge of fear, but it only last a second. The time that it took her to identify the figures. It was Red Tornado, and Batman. She marked her place in the book, and put it down, and looked at them expectantly.

"Here she is," Red Tornado said, and then walked off.

"I need to talk to you," Batman said, and walked down the hall, not waiting for her answer. She quickly followed him she was curious as to what he wanted to talk about. She wondered if it was about school since she had asked Robin to ask him about it.

He stopped when they came to the room with the zeta beam tunnels, and where she, and Robin had played air hockey. He turned, and addressed her,

"I need to know everything that you know about the lab," he said. Annie stared at him for a moment not knowing where to start, and a little disappointed.

"Well, they made me," she tried. Batman showed no emotion.

"I guessed as much. Do you know if there are more labs like that one?" Batman decided to be a little more specific.

"Yes," Annie said as she nodded. Glad to be of some help.

"Do you know where any of the other labs are at?" Batman asked. Annie looked down at the floor.

"No, I'm sorry," she said.

"It's ok," he said monotonously. "Do you know what the other labs do?" he continued the interrogation.

"Most of them do experiments like the one that I was at," she said.

"What kind of experiments?" Batman asked.

"They have been doing stuff similar two Beast on other humans," Annie said. Batman recalled The Team mentioning Beast.

"Beast, they have enhanced strength, and durability right," he said.

"Yes, the ones that they fought at the lab where primitive. They've been since then trying to perfect it. As far as I now they haven't done many other experiments like me. They get results quicker with Beasts since they age at an accelerated rate," Annie said.

It was true. With the Beast they could make them quickly, and they where fully grown in a matter of months, and they did not have to train the Beast to kill. They where born with that. Unlike with her, she aged at a normal rate, and had to be trained.

At the time what the lab needed was money, and to get money they had their creations become hit men. So it was easier to get something that would be ready to do the job in months. Rather than years.

Batman nodded. "Do you know who told us about the lab in Virginia," he asked, getting ready to wrap this up. Annie smiled at this.

"Yes, that was Ms. Martinez," she said proudly. Batman noted her excitement.

"Can you tell me more about her?" he asked. Annie nodded, and continued to tell him all about Ms. Martinez, and how nice she had been to her over the years.

"She's like a mother to me," Annie blushed as she said it. She would not have said it. But she had become consumed by all the memories, and the thought of never seeing her again, and Batman had been so quiet the whole time. That she had forgotten that she was talking to him, and had begun to just speak her own thoughts, and feelings.

Batman did not appear to be fazed by the comment.

"Do you know where she is know?" he asked.

"No, she said that I would never she her again," she spoke with sorrow.

"Ok, the others will be here soon, and when they get here I have something to tell all of you," he said, and walked out of the room.

Annie stayed where she was, feeling hope grow in her stomach. Maybe now he wanted to talk about her going to school. She wandered off not really knowing where she was going, or what she thought she would accomplish. She wondered why he wanted to wait for the other to get there. If it was about her going to school then why not tell her now. Annie shrugged it off assuming that he either had a reason, or that he wanted to talk about something completely different. That had nothing to do with her starting school.

Slowly the others began to arrive. First there was Superboy, and Megan. Then Wally showed up, followed a few minutes later by Artemis. Then Robin arrived shortly after Artemis.

Annie greeted them all as they came. Once they where all there Batman joined them. They all looked surprised. Except for Annie, who had already know that he was in the building, and Robin, Batman had told him that morning that he would be at the mountain.

"Do you have a mission for us?" Megan asked.

"No, but I do have something to tell all of you," Batman said.

"Annie you are going to start attending Gotham City Academy on Monday," he began.

"Is that a school?" Annie asked in a whisper.

"Yes," Batman answered. "Artemis, it is going to be your job to keep an eye on her. If anyone asks why you two are close, your cousins, is that clear" he finished talking to the blond.

"Yes," she answered as she wrapped her head around her new found responsibilities.

"How will she get to Gotham every day. It's not exactly in walking distance," Wally said.

"She will take the zeta beam. Superboy, Megan, One, or both of you will accompany her, and stay with her until Artemis comes, and takes her to school," Batman said. "Does everyone understand?" he asked.

They all nodded their heads. "Good, you are enrolled under the name Annie Martinez, you will need to get uniforms to wear to school," and with that the Dark Knight walked away to attend to other matters.

"Uniforms?" Annie said once he was gone.

"Yeah, you have to wear uniforms at Gotham Academy," Artemis said with a hint of disgust in her voice.

"Ok," Annie said.

"Since you won't need them till Monday we can wait till the weekend to get them," Robin said. Annie nodded, accepting what he said.

They all stood there silently for a little while. Until Wally got hungry, and went to get something to eat. The others followed him.

"Thank you," Annie whispered to Robin as they went towards the living area.

"No problem," he said with a smile. Annie liked his smile, but not only his smile. She liked to see anyone smile. There had not been a lot of smiling at the lab that was not full of cruelty, and ill intent.

As they arrived at the living area. Wally came from the kitchen with a bag of chips in his hands.

"Pig," Artemis mumbled as crumbs fell from his mouth as she walked by, followed by Megan.

Megan, and Artemis began to talk about something while they sat at the table, but Annie could not hear what they where talking about from where she stood. Wally, and Robin sat down on the floor in front of the TV, and began to play a video game. Superboy sat on the coach, and watched the game.

Annie was not sure what to do. She was not sure if she should join the two girls, but she did not want to intrude upon their conversation. She did not know anything about video games, so she could not do that either.

Megan looked over at the young girl who stood, awkwardly staring at her own feet. Annie noticed that Megan was looking at her. The green martian gave her a friendly look, inviting her to join them in whatever it was that they where talking about.

Annie walked over to them, and sat down next to Artemis. The two seemed to have just finished what they had been talking about previously, and where ready for something else to talk about.

"So, you, and me are going to be cousins," Artemis said to Annie.

"Yes," Annie nodded she understood the structure of average families, and knew that that would make her the daughter of one of Artemis's parent's siblings. She also knew that it was not true, and was just a back story. But that did not change the fact that Annie found it very curious to image herself being part of an average family.

"Will I do ok at school?" she asked neither of them in particular.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Megan comforted.

"Yeah, they did teach you stuff, right?" Artemis continued.

"What kind of stuff?" Annie asked. She had been taught many things.

"You know," but she did not. "Stuff like math," Megan finished. They did teach her about math, Annie was pretty good at it.

"English," Artemis continued. Annie could read, and write.

"Science," Megan continued the list. She grew up in a lab surrounded by scientist. Science was something she could do.

"History," Artemis said. Annie knew nothing of history. The lab had never seen the need to teach her anything about history. Martinez had told her a couple things, but even then it was not much.

Annie did not let them know how worried she was. She did not want to tell them that she did not know about history. She did not want to appear stupid. That would mean showing weakness, and she had been told not to show weakness.

"Yes then I guess I will do ok at school then," she said.

"They taught you about those things?" Artemis wanted to be sure.

"Yes," she left out 'most of them.'

They continued to talk the subject slowly changing it's focus to other things. Most of the things that they talked about did not make sense to her. Annie did not know what make-up was, how clothes could be so interesting, or why they giggled when they talked about guys.

That seemed to be the only part that they where both close to being on the same page. With Megan, make-up did not matter since she could change her whole form with ease. They both liked clothes, but had very different styles.

But when they talked about guys. They both got in to it, and would laugh at things that Annie did not understand. She did not see why it mattered how they looked. Yes, if they where well muscled that would mean that they where strong, and may be able to fight, but what did their hair, and eye color have to do with anything.

She looked over at the guys. Robin, and Wally where still playing their video game, and Superboy continued to watch. Annie considered going over there. She did not want to be rude, but she did not have anything to contribute to the girl's conversation, and did not find it very interesting.

She got up, they both noticed, but did not say anything. They had tried to include the girl in their conversation, but could tell that she did not understand. So they allowed her to go. Annie walked across the room, and sat down on the coach next to Superboy.

"Hey," Wally said, not looking away from the game. Superboy glanced at her, and then looked away. Robin lifted one hand in a wave, he did as Wally, and did not look away from the game.

"Hi," she greeted them all.

She watched the TV, not quite sure how the game worked. "No," Wally yelled as 'player two wins!' was displayed across the screen. Robin cackled at his friends dismay. Annie watched them curiously, as they started another game. She was beginning to think that she understood how the game was played.

Seemed that they used the devices in their hands to control what was on the screen. She still did not understand the purpose, or goal of the game, but she did recognize what appeared to be cars on the screen.

Half an hour later Robin put down his controller. "I should be heading back to Gotham," he said.

"What you afraid I'm going to beat you again," Wally said referring to their last round, that he had won.

"No, anyways you only beat me one time," he taunted.

"Two times," Wally corrected.

"Like that's much better. Anyways it's getting late, that's why I'm going home," Robin said. As they walked towards the zeta beam tunnels together.

Once they where gone Artemis turned to them. "I should leave too, bye," she said, and then she also walked to the tunnels.

The three that lived there ate a small dinner, and then went to do their own things. Megan went to the training room, and practiced a cheer, getting ready for cheer practice tomorrow. Superboy disappeared to his room, Annie was not sure what he was doing in there.

Annie herself went to the library. She did not continue reading _A Princess of Mars_, but instead searched out a book about history. She found the shelf that held historical book. She looked at all the titles. Not sure which one to read, or what kind of history she needed to know. She settled on _History of The World_, it sounded like a good place to start.

**Just in case anyone is wondering _History of The World_ (as far as I know) is not a real book, and that's why I didn't mention it in the disclaimer.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will do as I do every chapter, and beg for reviews now. So please leave a review, it helps me write faster :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

It was Thursday afternoon, only a few hours till the others arrived. Annie was in the library. She had been there all morning consumed in _History of the World_. She was reading about America. It turned out that the book was divided in to different section.

Each section was about a different time period in history, and different places. She had found a long section that talked about American history. It did not take her long to finish reading the chapter, it was long, but not that long.

It left her feeling more confused than before. It had only been a brief look at the history of the country she was in, and had left her with many questions. She wanted to know more. Putting the large book down she walked to the shelf that held books about history.

Looking through the shelf she pulled out any book that she thought might be about American history. Once she thought she had enough she sat back down in the chair, and began to sort through the many books that surrounded her.

She compared the information. How what one book said, was different from what another one said. She worked her way through the stages of American history, and thought that she understood. Then she hit the Civil War.

It did not make sense to her. She understood that it was a war fought by America from 1861-1865, she understood that both sides where American. Americans in the North, against ones in the South, but what she did not understand was why it was fought.

To free slaves. She did not really know what that meant. She tried to figure it out, she looked through other books, and learned more, but still felt like she was missing something.

She knew what slavery was, knew what the word meant. She found out that it had not only happened to the African Americans during that time period, but also to the Jews, and countless other people over the years.

She knew what slavery was, but not why it happened. She had thought that the outside world was good, she had always thought that the people of the lab where the only monsters, but as she read more. She began to think that maybe she had been wrong. That the people who where cruel to the slaves, and held them against their will where also monsters.

That made her afraid. She had always thought of the lab as the only evil, the only monster, but now she was presented with this. She began to look more, but not only in American history, but in other countries.

She found so much evil, so many monsters. Was that what the world was? She asked herself. Was it so full of monsters?

She heard footsteps from out in the hall. They where to soft to be Red Tornado, she looked up. Fear in her eyes as she waited for the person to pass the doorway so that she could see who it was. The footsteps got closer, she thought that it was one of the many evils she had read about, a monster.

The figure came in to view, and it was not a monster. It was Robin, he looked over, and saw her.

"Hey, I had been wondering where you where," he said, and walked in to the library.

"Did the computer go off when you came?" she asked. Robin smiled.

"Yeah, why?" He asked.

"I didn't hear it," she said. He continued to smile. It made Annie feel a little better.

"You must really be in to those books then," he referred to all the books scattered around. "What are you reading anyways?" he asked.

"History," Annie said simply. Robin laughed, she did not know what was so funny.

"History about what?" he asked.

"I started with the world, but then looked in to other things," Annie said. She looked away, and spoke again "The lab never taught me anything about history," she paused, and looked at him. "I don't understand," she said.

She had not wanted anyone to know, but she knew that she needed help. She had tried to figure it out on her own, but it had left her feeling very confused. It made her realize that she needed someone to explain it to her.

His mood changed. He became more serious, he walked over, and sat down next to her on the floor. As the number of books had grown, she had moved from the chair she had been sitting in. To the floor with all the books surrounding her.

"What have you been looking at?" he asked her. She grabbed a book that had been laying open.

"The second World War," she said as she held the book. Robin smiled a bit, but it was less joking than the one before had been.

"That's good, I believe that's what your class is covering in school right now," he said.

He looked at the page the book was open to, and then glanced at all the other books.

"What is it that you don't understand?" he asked, ready to listen to whatever it was that she had to ask.

She bit her bottom lip in thought. She knew what she wanted to ask, but did not want to come right out, and say it.

"How can the Nazis be so cruel?" she asked. Robin stared at one of the books, as if gathering his thoughts. Then looked at her.

"Nazis believed that they where better than anyone else. They believed that they where the perfect race, and where getting rid of anyone who wasn't," Robin told her.

"Why did they think that they where better?" Annie asked. Robin tried to chose his words carefully.

"During the war Adolf Hitler made them believe that they where better than others," he said.

Annie thought about that.

"What about the slaves, during the Civil War," she grabbed a book about the Civil War, and held it in her hand. "Hitler didn't tell them that it was ok to enslave other people, did he?" Annie said wanting more answers.

Robin's serious persona was lost for a second. "No Hitler did not tell them that it was ok," he laughed. Annie frowned, she didn't know why he was laughing. This was serious not funny. Robin saw her look.

"Sorry," he said, as he became serious again.

"No, it was how they where raised. They where raised in an environment that made them look at slaves as property, and not as people," he said.

"But how could they be led to believe that, they still look like people. Their skin may be different, but they still look very human," Annie said.

"Yes, but the slave owners believed that they where better. That the African Americans where inferior, and that it was ok for them to treat them that way," Robin told her.

Annie was still upset. "But how could people be so cruel? I thought the lab was the only monster," she said desperately. A small orb of energy formed in her hands. Robin frowned for a second, but only for a second.

He looked at her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Annie, the world is full of evil," he addressed her. The energy disappeared. She was going to say something, but he spoke first.

"But it's also full of good people," he said. "There was the Underground Railroad that helped free slaves, their was Harriet Tubman who saved more than seventy slaves using it, and not all slave owners where mean to their slaves. Some treated them very well" he said

"There where the Allies who fought against the Axis Powers during the war, there where people who would risk there own lives to hide the Jews from the Nazis, and not all Germans where bad, not all of them shared the same views as Hitler," he told her passionately.

She smiled, "Your right, there are lots of good people, and I shouldn't of overlooked them," she said with a smile. He also smiled, and took his hands of her shoulders.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" she said.

"You just did," he said, and began to laugh. Annie laughed to, not sure exactly why she was, but went a long with it anyways.

"Ok, what did you want to ask?" he said.

"Why are you guys different? The lab never cared about me. The only person who ever cared about me was Ms. Martinez, but you guys. Your all are so nice to me, why is that?" she truly was curious.

Robin did not know what to say to that at first. He looked at her wordlessly for a little while trying to gather his thoughts, and think of something to say.

"Because where different. The people at the lab saw you as an experiment, but we see you as a person," he said.

Annie thought about this. "So it's liked you guys are the North, and the lab is the South, and Ms. Martinez is like one of the people who where from the South, but did not agree with them?" Annie said thoughtfully.

"Yeah I guess it is kinda like that," Robin said, although he did not know who Martinez was.

Annie smiled at him. "Thank you, I think I understand now," Annie said.

"Good," Robin said as he stood up, and held his hand out to her. "Let's get this mess cleaned up," he said.

"I did make a mess, didn't I," Annie said as she took his hand. He pulled her up off the floor.

"Nothing we can't fix," He said as he picked up a couple book. He walked to the shelf, and began to put them back where they belonged. Annie followed his lead, and picked some up herself. Went to the shelf, and began to put them away.

It took them quite a while to put all the books away. Annie had pulled a lot of them off the shelf during her search that morning. When they where finally done, Robin let out a sigh.

"Do me a favor, and never pull so many books off the shelves," he said jokingly.

"I won't," she told him

He walked through the open door, Annie by his side. "If you ever have a question like that again, or about anything at all. Feel free to ask me," he told her as they made their way towards the living area. Where they assumed the others would be.

"Anything?" she wanted to be sure. Robin felt a twinge of, well he was not sure what it was. It was not dread. He liked talking to the girl. Some of her questions where strange, but it was also fun answering them. Like that afternoon in the library. Talking to her was not like talking to other people. She had such a strange out look on life that he never knew what she was going to say next.

"Yeah, rather have you ask me. Than tear apart the library," he laughed. Annie laughed to, as they came to the living area. Artemis, and Wally where there, arguing about who knows what. Megan was there as well. She was doing homework. Superboy was no where to be found.

Wally saw them, "Dude, I was wondering where you had gone," Wally exclaimed as he walked over to the pair. "I was stuck with her all afternoon," he nodded his head to Artemis.

"Shut up," Artemis snarled as she walked off. Most likely to the zeta beam tunnels.

Wally, and Robin also made their way to the zeta beam tunnels. It was getting late after all. Annie went with them.

"Why'd you have to hang out with Artemis. What about Megan or Superboy,"

"Megan had to do homework as soon as she got back from cheer practice, and Superboy stormed out of the room, and went to hide out somewhere over an hour ago," Wally said. The clones sensitive ears had had enough of the two teens loud shouting. So he had stormed off to get away from the noise.

They arrived at the zeta beams. Wally left first, "Tell Megan I said bye," he said as he left.

"Ok," Annie told him, just as the blue light claimed him. Robin went up to the machine once Wally was gone.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"Bye, and thanks, again," Annie said as he left.

Once he was gone Annie went, and found Megan. She was still doing homework.

"Megan," Annie said drawing her attention from the homework.

"Hi Annie. I'd love to talk but," Megan began.

"I won't be long. I just wanted to tell you that Wally says 'bye,'" she told the older girl. Megan smiled.

"Oh, that's nice," and with that the martian went back to her homework, and Annie walked away down one of the halls.

**Hope you enjoyed it. I would love to get some reviews. They really do make me write faster :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Oh my, I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I started school last week, and things where hectic. Future updates should not take as long. It was just this one with starting school got me all of my schedule.**

Annie lay in bed, it was 10:30 as night. On Sunday. She had school in the morning. She felt excitement, and fear grow within herself. She did not know what to expect she had never been to school. She had never even seen one, beyond the movie that Megan had insisted that they watch.

The movie had done nothing, but produce fear. The kids where cruel, and mean to each other. It had made her wonder if it was a good thing to go to school, but the others had reassured her that it was only a movie that greatly exaggerated how school life actually. Megan had apologized. Saying that she should of chosen a better movie. Annie had accepted the apology without really thinking about it.

She felt her mind become fuzzy. Then she felt nothing. She was asleep.

Within the early hours of the morning. She awoke with a start, covering in a thin layer of cool sweat. Her breathing was quick, as if she has just finished a long run. This feeling was not foreign to the girl, actually it was a common occurrence. Nightmares had always haunted her, but this was the first time since she had left the lab.

In her nightmare, she had been back at the lab. She could not remember everything it was already to vague, and what she did remember did not make sense. All she knew was that though she could not remember the details it still made her feel scared, trapped as if she had never left the the lab.

She stood up, cutting off her thoughts. She used the facet in the bathroom to splash her face. Trying to wash away the dream. Annie reminded herself again, and again that she was free as she brushed her teeth, and did her hair.

She put on the uniform that she had to wear for school. They had gotten her uniforms over the weekend. Once she was dressed she looked in the mirror. Taking in how different she looked

Her hair was nicer. It still lay flat, and style-less as it had before, but at least now it was clean, and brushed threw. Her skin was a little less pale. The bruise on her cheek was now completely gone, and the cloths. They not only felt different that anything she had ever worn, but they also looked different.

Annie was not sure if she was more attractive, or attractive at all for that matter. But she did know that she looked different, not better, or worse. Just different.

She glanced at the clock. Even though they where all getting up earlier than usually. So that they could get Annie at school with some extra time to try, and get settled. And so that Megan, and Superboy would have time to get to their school on time, after dropping her off. It would still be awhile till they awoke.

Sighing she picked up her books from the desk, trying to take as long as possible to do the quick task. Then she slowly walked out of her room, and to the kitchen. Once there she ate breakfast, taking very small bites, and chewing slowly.

Once done she walked to the coach, and sat down fully dressed in her uniform, books sitting on the green fabric of the coach next to her. Her thoughts strayed to what had woken her that morning. Annie did not want to think about, and tried not to, but her mind all ways drifted back to it.

She wondered if nightmares where going to become common to her again. They always had been, but she had hoped after the last peaceful nights. That maybe in escaping the lab, that she had all so escaped the nightmares. But apparently she had been wrong, last night proved that.

"Are you ready for your first day of school?" Annie jumped, and turned to see Megan.

"Yes," she answered, and stood up off the coach, books in arms. Megan nodded.

"We should be heading out then," she said.

Instead of answering Annie went ahead, and made her way to the zeta beam, and waited for the two there. It was not long before they both got there. Then the three of them walked in to the tunnel.

Annie looked around curiously. The nightmare pushed to the back of her mind. She had not been in the zeta beam before. She became surrounded by blue light until it was all that she could see. Then it faded, and she found herself in a phone box in an alley.

She stepped out of the box followed by Megan, and Superboy. Artemis was not there yet, so they stood there, and waited for her to arrive. Annie looked around as she waited. Inspecting the filthy concrete, the smelly dumpster, and run down buildings.

Gripping her books tighter when she heard shouting in the distance. She stood rigid till the angry voices subsided. They stood quietly until they saw a familiar archer coming towards them.

"Have a nice day," Megan called, and then she, and Superboy went back threw the zeta beam to hurry along to their own school.

"Come on," Artemis called when she was close. Annie followed her obediently. They walked several blocks until they came to a large brick building. Annie followed Artemis closely as she walked up to the large doors, and opened them.

The doors opened to a long hallway. They walked down it until they came to a door, it had a small sign next to it that read 'office.' They walked in, and talked to an older man, Mr. Reeds was his name. Reeds gave Annie a piece of paper, and told them both to have a nice day.

Once they where back in the hallway Annie looked at the paper.

"It's your schedule, and locker number," Artemis told her. The blond directed her to her locker, and showed her how the lock worked. Annie placed her books inside the small locker.

They both stood there talking, Artemis explained to her how the schedule worked. They had plenty of time before the first bell. At least that is what Artemis told her.

Annie listened intently as the other girl explained to her how the schedule worked, and what everything on it meant. The young girl tried to absorb all the information that she was told.

"Ok, so do you think you got it?" Artemis asked her. Annie did not look up from the paper that held her schedule.

"I think so," she said in a very unsure voice. Artemis sighed feeling truly worried for the girl.

She had no idea how a girl as ignorant as Annie was going to be able to handle being at school without someone to watch her most of the day. Sure Artemis would see her, but she could not be there all the time.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Artemis lied. Annie took her eyes of the schedule, and gave her a weak smile. Artemis was not sure whether she had not caught the lie, or if she had, but had chosen to believe it anyways.

More students began to walk in. Annie pushed herself against the lockers, and inched closer to Artemis. She watched them pass. Some of them looked at her, others did not even acknowledge her existence. She liked those better, the ones that did not notice her.

"I need to got to my own locker, you gonna be ok," Artemis said. Annie was not sure if she would be ok, but nodded anyways. Artemis nodded back, and gave her smile. Then hesitantly walked away.

Annie watched her go, while she leaned up against the locker next to her own. She felt very alone, as she watched all the people walk by.

"That's my locker," She jumped when she heard the male voice. She whipped her head around to see a black haired boy, just a little taller than she was. Annie moved off the locker she had been leaning against.

She watched the boy unlock the locker, and then open it. She watched as he placed books inside it, not sure what else she could do. Annie took a deep breath, and tried to relax, but still jumped when the boy slammed his locker. He turned towards them, and held his hand out to Annie.

Annie stared at the hand, and then looked at his face, he was smiling. She then hesitantly took his hand. He shook his own hand with hers in it up, and down. Then released her hand. Annie did not know why he did this, or what purpose it held.

"Dick Grayson," the boy said, and then pointed to himself. Annie's eyes narrowed.

"Annie Martinez," she said curtly. The boy still smiled.

"Your new here, right?" he asked. She nodded, not sure if she trusted him, or not.

"Do you know where all your classes are yet?" he asked. Annie was going to lie, and say yes just so he would go away, but then she saw that he was still smiling. It made her think of another person who was almost always smiling. It made her think of Robin, and how he had helped her. This did not make her trust Dick, but it did make her think that maybe he could help her. Like Robin did.

"I know the numbers, but not where they are," She said, holding out her schedule to him hesitantly. He took it from her hands, and looked at it. Dick did not really need to look at it. He already knew that they had an identical schedule. Just as he had known that she would have the locker next to his. Of course he could not tell her this.

"Wow," he faked surprise. "You have all the same classes as me. I can show you around if you want," he said.

"That would be nice," Annie said. She did not trust him, but she knew that she needed help. Dick's smile widened.

"Ok, we have English first," he said happily. Still smiling that smile, that made Annie think that maybe, just maybe he was trustworthy.

**I know this was short, but I needed to get something up today, since I have stuff going on after school tomorrow, and if I didn't put the chapter up today it wouldn't be till Tuesday that I could update. Again sorry it took so long, there should be less time in between updates in the future.**

**Please review, they help me write faster :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**I am so TERRIBLY sorry! I have been having computer problems, and ended up losing this whole chapter, and then had to re-wright it, which ended up taking me forever. I feel absolutely awful, and hope that none of you are to mad at me.**

Annie sat inside the medium sized room where her English class would be held everyday. She sat in a desk, towards the back, and close to the closed door.

She did not like that door, she did not like it at all. She did not like that it barricaded her from the rest of the world. Did not like that it forcibly held her inside the room filled with strangers. None of which she trusted.

Her eyes scanned them all as the aging women who was her teacher droned on. Her eyes fell upon one student in particular. Dick, she knew his name, but he was the only one. She did not know any of the others names.

Not even the teacher's. Annie did not like her teacher. At the beginning of the class she had forced Annie to stand before the class, and had told them all her name, and then the teacher had proceeded to tell Annie her name. But she had been to preoccupied with the fact, that know all the students knew her name, but Annie did not know any of their names, to remember what the teacher had said her name was.

Her eyes drifted away from Dick, who was sitting a few rows away from her, to gaze at all the other children. Annie looked at the girl sitting in the desk next to hers, the girl was as skinny as a stick, or at least as close a person could get to being that skinny.

She then looked at the desk in front of the girl. A boy sat in this chair, a very large boy. If the girl behind him was a stick, then he was the whole tree. Annie continued to stare at him, he reminded her slightly of the Beast, and that sent a shiver down her spine.

The boy turned around. She was not sure if maybe he had felt her stair, or wither it was dumb luck. But either way he had turned around. When he had seen her staring he had given her a friendly smile. Only to turn away awkwardly when she did not return the gesture.

Annie stared for a few more seconds, her expression still rigid, then continued her inspection of the room. Annie stayed with the old teacher who she did not like for two periods, Grammar and Literature.

After that she had Algebra. She followed Dick threw the crowded hallways. Annie looked at all the bustling students with suspicion. Just waiting for one of them to do something. Even the smallest thing, that would suggest that they wanted to hurt her.

She knew that the students were most likely not from the lab. None of them had the right persona to suggest being from the lab, but if there was one thing that she had learned since leaving the lab. It was that there where all kinds of monsters. So what was to keep the students from still being monsters, just not the monsters of the lab.

Dick lead her to their next classroom, it looked very similar to the one where they had, had English. They where greeted by a woman with dull brown hair who looked to be in her mid forties.

"Hello, I'm Mrs. Burgmund, you must be our new student," the woman spoke with a warm voice, and a smile that lite up her dull features.

But Annie was still struck with fear, she nodded and looked anywhere but Burgmund's eyes. The woman tightened her lips, and brought her eyebrows down and together. The girl was shy, was what she concluded.

"Ok Miss," she trailed off, not knowing the girl's name.

"Annie Martinez," Dick answered for her.

"Ok, Miss. Martinez, you can take a seat in the open desk next to Mr. Grayson," Burgmund finished with a warm smile, and a finger pointing to the open desk.

Dick showed Annie to the desk, and took the one next to her. Just as they where sitting down the tardy bell rang. Most of the other kids where already in their desks, except for two boys who walked in three minutes after the bell had rung.

In the three minutes the boys had missed, Burgmund had introduced Annie to the class. Unlike her English teacher, who made her stand before the class and introduce herself, Burgmund simply announced that they had a new student, pointed to Annie and told them her name.

Then the boys had walked in, just as Burgmund had asked all the students to pull their homework out and turn it in. The teacher quickly told the boys to take their seats, and she began with her lesson.

Annie listened for a portion of the class, but then got board. She knew most of it all ready. So she looked around. She saw that Dick was also aimlessly looking around, Annie assumed that he already knew the lesson to. She also saw that the two boys who had showed up late where not paying attention either.

She noticed that one of them was looking at her. Annie quickly looked away as soon as their eyes had met. A minute later she glanced back to where the boy sat, and saw that he was still staring at her. Annie began to panic. She tried to calm down. She reassured herself that the boy was simply wondering who she was, since he had not been in the class when she had been introduced.

Dick seemed to notice her discomfort, "You ok?" he whispered to her.

She nodded, and said "Yes," extremely quietly, even for whispering. Dick stared at her for a second, and then seemed to accept what she had said, and looked away.

The rest of the class passed by quietly, but Annie could not help but feel that someone was looking at her. She knew what it was. She thought that the boy may still be looking at her, but she tried to dismiss it and blamed it on paranoia.

Annie felt her heart lighten as the bell rang. Quickly collecting her books she got out of her desk. Dick walked up to her, and exited the class by her side. She could have sworn that he was talking, but she had not been paying attention.

She was looking for the boy. When she finally saw him, she let out a sigh of relief as she saw that he was walking in the opposite direction than her, and Dick where.

"Annie, how are you doing?" she heard a voice call that was most definitely not Dick, but it was still a voice that she recognized. She turned to see the archer clad in the school uniform running towards her.

"I'm doing ok," Annie told her.

Artemis seemed relieved to hear this, "Good, where are you headed now?" Artemis asked. Annie looked towards Dick not really sure where they where heading next.

"History," Dick told the blonde.

Artemis's looked at Dick curiously. Then turning back to Annie she said, "I have to be heading to my next class, science." Annie nodded. "See you later," Artemis called as she hurried away.

The two continued to walk down the hall. "So are you, and Artemis related or something?" Dick asked. He was curious to see how she would react to the question.

"Cousins," she replied stiffly.

"Cool," Dick answered satisfied at how she had reacted.

"So we have history now?" Annie asked drawing the attention away from her, and Artemis.

"Yeah, I bet you'll like it, Mr. King's really nice," he replied.

"Ok," Annie answered, and then seemed to be lost in thought. Dick assumed that she was wondering how the class would go.

They walked silently through the halls, until they finally came to the proper room.

"Well, here we are," Dick said grandly as they walked in. A young man, fresh out of college, with light sandy blond hair saw them, and walked over.

"You must be the new student," he said. "I'm Mr. King," he said kindly.

"I'm Annie Martinez," Annie said quietly. King smiled, and nodded.

"Ok, you can sit wherever there's an open seat," He said.

Annie nodded, and found an open seat, and sat down. Dick sat at his assigned desk, he was disappointed to see that they sat on opposite sides of the room. He felt that if there was any class she would have trouble in. It would be history.

The tardy bell rang, and King began the class by taking role. Dick absently called, "here," when his name was called. His mind was on other things as King finished calling role, and had begun his lesson. He kept looking over at Annie to see how she was doing.

She seemed ok, and more attentive than she was in the other classes. Dick had noticed that, that in every class so far she had spent more time looking around watching her surroundings than listening to the teachers. He assumed that it was because she was not used to having to be around so many people.

But not in this class, she grasped on to every word of the lesson. Although, Dick was not sure how much of it made any sense to her at all. He watched as her eyes where trained on the dry erase board as Mr. King made a time line of the War on the board.

The only time her eyes ever left that time line, was when someone made a sudden movement, or a loud noise. Dick wondered if she was trying to memorize it. For even when King stopped writing, and faced the class, and began to make comments about whatever it was he had been writing, Annie's eyes where still on the time line.

Dick was pulled out of his thoughts as the bell sounded releasing them to head off to lunch. They walked together to lunch. Dick sat where he usually sat. They where the first two at the table, he assumed that the other people who usually ate lunch with him would join shortly.

He watched her pull a sandwich out of the brown bag, he assumed that Megan had made her lunch. She peered at it curiously for a second, and then took a bite of the sandwich.

Then Nick joined the table. Nick was a tall, and slender boy, they had science together.

"Hows your day been going?" Nick asked, Dick had heard that question nearly everyday of the school year.

"Ok," he replied the same way as he usually did.

"Who's this?" Nick asked looking at Annie. Dick could see how she visibly stiffened. Nick also noticed, "Hey I don't want to offend. My names Nick," he said with a care free voice. That was Nick, without a care in the world. Although it was that worry free attitude that had made him be in 8th grade when he should have been a Freshman.

"My names Annie," she said quietly as Nick took a bite of the apple off his tray, he had bought lunch instead of bringing his own.

"Well it's very nice to meet you ma'am," The tall boy said in a jokingly serious voice. Dick smiled a bit at the small humor, Annie did not.

Maria, and Maria joined the table next, two best friends that shared everything including a name. They did not say much as they sat down for they where engrossed in their own conversation about something that had happened over the weekend.

A few other people joined the table after them, but Dick payed them little mind as he was currently joking around with Nick. But Annie carefully examined each one as they sat down. One of the Marias, Maria White, turned to Annie.

"Your Annie right?" White randomly asked excitedly. Annie turned to her, it was the same small girl she had seen during English class, the one who had sat behind the tree like boy.

"Yes," she answered rigidly. White began to giggle for no reason.

Annie stared at her. The other Maria stepped in, Maria Harris, "Ignore, Maria, she's a little crazy," Harris joked. White let out a gasp.

"I am not," she replied pretending to be insulted.

Harris laughed, then spoke to Annie, "I'm Maria Harris, this is Maria White," Harris introduced herself, and her friend. Annie stared at them, not sure what to make of the pair.

The rest of lunch went as usual, they all joked about stuff that they would only find funny at that time, that was so small and random that they would not even remember the details of the stuff that had made them all laugh so hard at the time later.

They all laughed, except for Annie. She kept a stoned expression, watching them like an outsider. Dick tried to include her, and she seemed to at least try to fit in, letting off small smiles that did not reach her eyes occasionally, nodding her head. But Dick knew the others would notice that something was strange about her.

They may not point it out know, they may not have seen it yet, but Dick knew that they would all see it in time. The teachers might not, having been kids in a different times. But the students would, they would see that something was off about her. Even if they could not place what it was. They would tell.

**Well, there you go. I do hope that it was worth the wait, and I am so sorry again for the wait. I am curious as to how the school scenes went. I've never written anything that took place in a school before, and would really like to hear how I did. Please review :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

Dick walked through the halls toward science class. Lunch had ended and they had gone to art. Which had just ended so know they headed to the science lab. They walked in to the room. It had six lab tables with stools around them for the students to sit at, and at the head of the room there was a teachers desk, and a dry erase board.

Dick looked at Annie as they walked in. She seemed ok. He had been worried that the room might remind her of the Lab, but she looked fine. Dick assumed that the labs in Virginia must have looked different than the lab at the school.

Mr. Miller walked up to them. He was young, and had light brown hair.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Miller. You can take the open seat next to Zoey," Miller told her. Annie stood frozen eyes wide. Dick did not know what was going on. One second she was fine, and the next she froze up.

"She's over their," Dick said, and gently pushed her in the direction of Zoey. Annie glanced at him, fear was written on her face. She walked rigidly to the stool next to Zoey. Zoey said something to Annie, Dick assumed that it was a greeting, Annie just mindlessly nodded.

"Are you just going to stand there the whole class, or are you going to take your seat Mr. Grayson?" Miller's question brought Dick back to the present. He mumbled a quick sorry, and then hurried to his seat.

"Is the new girl ok?" Nick whispered. Dick turns to the boy who sat next to him.

"I'm not really sure," Dick replied. Nick nodded, and left it at that.

Miller passed out a packet of worksheets to everybody. The worksheets where over what they had learned last week. "You have the class to finish them, or their homework," Miller told them, and then took a seat at the teachers desk.

Dick tried to concentrate on the worksheets, but can not. Annie was still on edge. She sat at the table next to his, and he could see plainly that she was on defensive mode. Zoey raises her hand, Miller saw, and got up, and walked towards their table.

Dick could see the way Annie tensed, 'Is she afraid of Mr. Miller?' Dick thought. Miller answered Zoey's question, and then turned to Annie.

"Do you know how to do this?" He asked, and pointed at the worksheets. Annie nodded.

"Then why haven't you started?" Miller asked sternly. Annie did not move. She was going to break down, Dick could tell.

"Is something wrong?" Miller asked. Annie nodded, gripping the table. Dick could swear that he saw a small white light coming from her hands.

"Do you want to step out of the class, and calm down?" Annie did not answer his question. Instead she jumped off of the stool, and ran to the closed door.

Flinging it open she bolted out of the room. Letting the door slam behind her with a bang. The noise vibrated through the silent room. All the students stared silently. Then the whispering began. "Whoa," Dick heard Nick say.

Annie ran down the hall blindly, her heart pounded inside of her chest. She skidded around the corner, someone was there, Annie ran by bumping in to them.

"Hey watch where you're...Annie?" She heard the person call in a female voice.

Annie knew the voice, she stopped waiting for them to walk up to her.

"What happened?" Artemis asked, putting her hand on Annie's shoulder.

"I want out of here, I do not like all the walls," Annie said.

"Ok, follow me," Artemis said, and began to walk down the hall.

Artemis lead her to a pair of double glass doors, she opened one, and walked through it. It lead to a small courtyard. Artemis sat down at one of the five picnic tables. Annie sat down next to her.

"What happened?" Artemis repeated her earlier question.

Annie thought for a second, and then decided to tell her. "I was in science," she began, Artemis nodded.

"You have Mr. Miller, right?" Artemis asked.

"Yes," Annie said, a small orb of white light appeared in her hands. Artemis noticed.

"Do you not like him?" She asked. Annie stared at the energy in her hands.

"He reminds me of Mr. Whitley," Annie said. Miller was the spitting image of the cruel the scientist. The only difference was that Miller was a little shorter, and tanner than Mr. Whitley.

Artemis nodded.

"Mr. Whitley, he was one of the scientist?" she guessed.

"He never liked me," Annie replied.

After that Artemis fell silent. They sat for a while like that, in silence. Annie stared at the energy in her hands, it had been hard for her to keep it under control while in the science lab. Now she sat letting all the energy drain till it was controllable again.

Eventually it did die down. Artemis looked at her.

"You ready to go back to class?" She asked.

"Yes," Annie replied.

"Good, my teacher is probably wondering where I am. I only asked to go the the bathroom, and we've been out here for what, fifteen minuted," Artemis estimated the time. Annie smiled.

"I hope that I did not get you in to trouble," Annie said.

"It's not a big deal," Artemis said as they walked back inside of the building.

"Thank you," Annie said.

"No problem," the archer said, and then they parted ways. Both going back to their own classes.

Annie opened the door, and walked back in to the room.

"Are you OK know?" Miller asked. Annie nodded her hands clenched in fists, and sat back down in her seat. She looked at Miller, waiting for him to start yelling, or hitting her. She knew that, that was stupid. That he was not Whitley, but boy did they look alike.

Five minutes later the bell ring. One more class, and then her first day of school would be over. Dick hurried over to her.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"I am fine. What class do we have next?" Annie said absolutely no emotion in her voice.

"Study hall," Dick told her.

Study hall went by quickly, and when the finale bell rang Annie felt a flood of joy. She wanted to go back to the Mountain where she knew she could trust everyone.

Annie, and Dick both went to their lockers, and grabbed their books. Once Dick grabbed his books he looked at Annie.

"What did you think of your first day at Gotham Academy?" He asked.

"It was, ok," Annie answered dryly. Dick was going to say something, but Artemis walked up before he could.

"We should be heading..home," Artemis told Annie.

"Ok," Annie nodded, and walked away with the blond.

"See you tomorrow," Dick called after her.

"Bye," Annie replied.

Once they were a few block from the school, Artemis decided to speak. "How did the rest of your day go?" She asked.

"Good," Annie said. Artemis smiled.

"Who was that boy following you around?" Artemis asked.

"Dick Grayson, our schedule is the same, so he was showing me around," Annie told her.

"Your schedules are exactly the same?" Artemis asked, straining the word 'exactly.'

"Yes," Annie answered.

"That's strange," Artemis said to herself.

"Is it?" Annie asked.

"Kind of," Artemis said as they came to the old phone box.

"I have to go the grocery store, and get some stuff for my mom. I'll see you here tomorrow," Artemis told her.

"Ok, bye," Annie said, and stepped in to the phone box. A blue light engulfed her, and she was gone.

The computer at the Mountain announced her arrival. She had only just stepped out of the tube when Wally appeared in front of her.

"How was your first day of school," He asked, a soda in hand. Megan floated in to the room before she could answer.

"Yes, how was it?" The martian said. Annie smiled, it was good to see them.

"It, was not what I expected," Annie said truthfully.

The computed then announced another arrival, Robin. He walked up to them dressed in civies.

"How was your day?" He asked

"We just asked her that?" Wally said exasperated.

"Well I can ask her again," Robin replied.

"It was not what I expected," Annie repeated her earlier answer for Robin to hear.

"Is that a good, or bad thing?" Megan asked concerned.

"Good, I guess," Annie said.

"What was your favorite class?" Megan asked as they all walked towards the kitchen. Annie glanced at Robin, and smiled. Robin was slightly surprised, he had not seen her smile all day at school, but now she smiled so easily.

"History," She answered

Annie spent the rest of the day telling them how hew day went, and doing homework. Then she went to bed. Annie woke up the next morning, and went to school. It went by in a similar fashion as the day before Dick stuck by her the whole day, the others joked around about stuff at lunch that Annie did not understand, and her classes where in the same order with the same teacher as the day before.

But what was different was that none of the teachers introduced her again, which Annie was grateful for, she did not run out of any of her classes, she had felt very tense during science, but she stayed in the classroom the whole time.

Something else that had not happened the day before was that kids where giving her funny looks, they where whispering to, and Annie kept hearing them say her name.

**Finnally her first day of school is over, after what? Three chapters. This story is turning out a lot longer than I expected. I hope all of you stick with me on it!**

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited/alerted, or read this story, you guys are the reason I keep writing, and I hope to never dissapoint you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Ok, just thought I'd make it official. A couple people have asked in reviews if this is a Robin/OC and I responded to them in private messages, and since the rest of you can't see those, I thought I'd just let you all know the answer. Yes, I did not set out to write a romance (it just kinda happened) so the plot is not all about them liking each other, there is something else going on here. I also put in to consideration that they are thirteen which means NO making out at all. The whole relationship is very mild.**

**Please enjoy.**

Annie sat in a desk doing homework. She was in study hall, her last period of the day. It was also Friday, Annie had started school that Monday. She heard footsteps, and glanced up to see a kid walking past her desk to get to the pencil sharpener. Snorting, she looked back at the homework, and continued to work.

Just as she finished her work the bell rang. Collecting her stuff she left the classroom. As she walked to her locker she felt a presence next to her. Looking over she was not surprised to see Dick walking next to her.

He had stuck with her the whole week. Even now that she knew where all her classes where at he still followed her. Annie did not mind. Dick was a friendly boy, who did not show any indication to being a threat to her.

"I thought this week would never end," Dick exclaimed. Annie looked at him slightly surprised by the sudden outburst. "What? It felt pretty long to me," he said when he saw her looking at him funny.

"I didn't say anything. And I agree, it did feel quiet long," Annie said as they came to there lockers.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Dick asked as he pulled his books out of his locker.

"I'm not sure. What are you doing?" Annie was curious as to what kids usually did on the weekends.

Dick paused for a second considering what to say. What he was really doing this weekend was: going to the Mountain that evening, training with the Team Saturday morning, he had to go to a charity banquet Saturday afternoon, and training, and paroling in Gotham all weekend.

"Hanging out with some friends," he told her.

"Ok, I'll see you Monday then?" Annie said, and then walked away.

"Yeah Monday," Dick said, thinking that it would be a lot sooner than that.

Shaking his head, he picked up the bag that held his book, and made his way to the front of the school. He immediately saw Alfred waiting for him.

Smiling he ran over, and jumped in to the back of the car.

"You seem awfully excited, sir," Alfred said in a crisp British accent.

"Why wouldn't I be excited? It's Friday Alfred, or had you forgotten?" Dick said teasingly.

"Oh yes, Friday," the butler said in an uninterested fashion. The rest of the car ride went by silently.

Once they had arrived at the mansion Dick went up to his room. He dropped off his bag, and changed out of his school uniform, and in to civvies. Just before leaving his room he grabbed a pair of black tinted sunglasses off of his desk.

Dick then made his way to the Batcave. He was not at all surprised to see Bruce sitting in a chair in front of a large computer.

"Hi, Bruce," He said happily.

"Hello, are you going to the Mountain now?" Bruce asked without turning from the computer screen.

"Yeah, just thought I'd let you know that I'm leaving," Dick said.

"Ok," Bruce said, and then turned to face the young boy, "Have fun." Dick smiled.

"I will," he said, and then ran out of the Batcave, on his way to the zeta-beam transporter located in one of the allies of Gotham.

Bruce watched him go, and then turned back to the computer and continued work on the case he was looking at.

Robin arrived at the zeta-beam tube located in the alley of Gotham. He went threw the tube, and arrived at the Mountain. His arrival being announced for all to hear by the computer.

He walked into the living room and found Annie there a book in her lap. "Hey, where's everybody else?" he asked as he plopped down on the coach next to her. Annie looked up from the book she had been reading.

"Megan's cheering at her first football game and Superboy decided to go two, I am not sure about the others," She informed him.

Robin was going to say something, but Annie spoke first "I hope it's ok that I took it out of the library," Annie said referring to the book that lay closed in her lap.

"Oh, yeah sure, take as many as you want, as long as you put them back when your done," Robin told her.

Annie's face lit up at this. "You really like reading. Don't you?" He asked her.

"Yes, I like books," She told him.

"Cool, so what do you want to do?" Robin asked as he stood up off the coach.

Annie bunched up her face in thought. "I'm not sure..." she trailed off still deep in thought. When suddenly her eyes widened as if she had just had an epiphany, "can we go outside?" she asked getting up off the coach herself.

Robin looked at her. Annie's brown eyes where wide and full of anticipation, a smile played on her lips, her hands where held at her side, Robin thought that he had seen white light playing around them but it could have been his eyes playing tricks on him. He smiled "Sure, lets go down to the beach," he said.

Mr. Moore slammed his hand down on the desk and swore, making the blond scientist that sat at the desk jump in his chair.

"You need to calm down sir," Ms. Taylor told him. Moore turned to face her.

"Don't you tell me to calm down. It's been what, two weeks," Moore paused. He had lost count of the days.

"Yes, just about," Taylor answered.

"And we still haven't found it," Moore finished.

Taylor adjusted her glasses. It was something she did commonly when she was stressed.

"You aren't the only one on the line here, you know?" Taylor told him calmly.

"Of course I know that," Moore told her fiercely.

He took a deep breath, and rubbed his forehead bidding the small throbbing in his head to go away. Moore looked up, and spoke in a calmer voice.

"It's just that it's been two weeks, and we are no closer to finding it than we where when the sidekicks first took it."

"That's not completely true, sir," The blond scientist who sat at the desk Moore had hit previously spoke up nervously.

"Then what do we have?" Moore asked. The blond scientist turned his monitor so that they could see it. The screen had a map on it speckled with several red dots.

"The dots represent possible leads," The scientist informed him.

"That many? How will we ever find it with that many leads?" Moore asked desperately.

"It is possible that I may be able to help with that," a male voice spoke from behind Moore. He turned to see two people standing in the door way. One of them stepped forward, and held his hand out to Moore.

Moore took the hand.

"I am Lex Luther and this is my bodyguard, Mercy" The bald man told him will gesturing to the woman who stood behind him.

"Yes, I have seen you on the news," Moore stuttered dumbfounded.

"Might I ask how it is that you could help us, Mr. Luther?" Taylor asked.

"Of course, but may I get your names first?" Luther asked calmly.

"Mr. Moore, and this is my assistant, Ms. Taylor. And I am more interested in how you got in here," Moore told him, leaving the unimportant scientist behind the desk out.

Luther chuckled at this. "The guards let me in. It is, after all only because of my money that this place is still running," he paused, seeing that they had no idea what they where talking about. So he decided to explain

"I came to your boss, Mary Davidson a few years back, I had heard of what she was trying to do and wanted to be a part of it. So we came to an agreement, I would supply her with money, and she would informed me of her progress," Luther said.

"And she told you about our stolen experiment?" Taylor assumed.

"Very good," Luther praised like a teacher talking to a student with a learning disability.

"And you have information on where the sidekicks took it?" The blond scientist piped in.

Luther nodded. "Some of my...colleges, and I have had run ins with this particular group of children before," he said.

"What do you know about them?" Moore asked genuinely curious.

"They are a co-ops team for the Justice League. Their base is in Happy Harbor," Luther told them.

"And that's where they took it," Taylor said getting excited.

"That is the group of people who took it. I am not sure if they still have it with them, but it is very possible," he told them.

"That is all the information I have at the time, but if I find anything else out I will inform you of it, good day," Luther said, and made his way to the door.

"And to you two, Mr. Luther," Taylor said.

**I was a little hesitant about using Lex Luther. I hope it came out ok.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Please enjoy!**

Annie stood on the place where the rock ended and the sand began. Robin slipped off his shoes and ran out onto the beach ahead of her. The girl watched him, delicately she stepped out onto the sand to follow him.

Her feet sank a bit as she walked after him. It scared her at first. She stood next to him, and watched the waves crash. She had never seen so much water up close before.

"How far does it go?" Annie asked.

Robin looked over at her. He was mildly surprised by the forward question. He supposed he had gotten used to the stony exterior which she put on at school that he had forgotten how blatantly curious she was around the Team, mainly him.

"The ocean," She specified.

"Oh, right, that's the Atlantic Ocean. It stretches for 41,100,000 square miles, and covers around 20 percent of the earth's surface," He raddled off facts.

"Yes, they told me that. But I guess I never really knew how large that really was," Annie said. She thought for a moment. "I think what I meant is how far does it go beyond the horizon?" She asked.

"For miles and miles," Robin told her.

"The Earth is very large," She said more to herself than to Robin.

"Yeah, it's huge," Robin said.

Annie thought. She had been told all the numbers and facts, but she had never really grasped how large the world was.

"So hows school?" Robin asked her.

"It's OK," Annie answered.

"Have you made any friends?" Robin was curious as to what her answer would be.

"I don't know if I would consider them friends, but there are a couple people who have been nice to me," Annie said.

"Really? That's good," Robin supposed that, that was the best answer.

"Yes, especially this boy, his names Dick Grayson," Annie told him.

"Is he nice?" Robin asked keeping his cool.

"Yes, he reminds me a little of you," Annie said calmly. Robin felt his heart speed up a bit.

"In what way?" He wanted to know if she was at all suspicious.

"He helped me find my way around the school. Which reminded me of how you helped me. He also looks a little bit like you," Annie said nonchalantly.

"Hmm, he sounds like he could be my twin," Robin joked. Annie's head whipped, and she looked at him.

"Do you have a twin?" She asked surprised.

"No," Robin laughed. The girls surprise dissipated.

"Oh, OK," She laughed also. He thought once again of how different she was here than at school.

Robin did not want to continue talking about his other identity anymore. So he ran out in to the waves till the water soaked his pant legs to his mid calf. He looked back at Annie. She looked perplexed.

He began to laugh, "come on," he said, motioning for her to follow. She stared at him for a second then at the water. Looking back at him she began to wade the couple feet into the water to get to where Robin stood.

Once she had caught up, Robin proceeded to go deeper. He went till the water was just hitting his waist, and then stopped. Annie stood a little bit behind him, being a little shorter than he meant that the water went higher on her at this point that it did on him.

He turned and scooped his hand in the water, and flung a small amount at Annie. She looked confused, possible insulted, for a second but then she saw his smiling face, and heard his eerie cackle.

Annie decided that it was in good fun. She also decided that the right form of action would be to copy what he had done. So she did, scooping her hand threw the water she flung the small amount that had pooled in her hand at him.

Robin laughed once again. He had been worried at first. He had flung the water at her without thinking about how she would take. In that moment of impulse he had forgotten that she would most likely not understand.

Robin put both his hands in the water and flung a good amount at her in retaliation. And that is how it went, they splashed around getting each other soaked in the freezing ocean water. After all it was November.

Just as Robin was struck in the face with some water he began to think about how she had copied him. Annie did it at school as well with all the students. She would watch what they would do, and copy it in a sort of 'monkey see, monkey do,' kind of way.

Robin left those thoughts as he cupped his hands and gathered water in the small sort of bowl shape his hands had formed. He then brought his hands over Annie's head, and dropped the contents directly on top of her head.

He felt slightly accomplished in the fact that he was tall enough to do that. As Annie wiped the water that had streamed from the top of her head to her eyes away, Robin stood with a proud smirk set on his face.

She looked at him, once she was done wiping her face, with a playfully mad look plastered on. Robin was going to say something, but the words did not even get a chance to leave his mouth before a large wave hit causing them both to stumble back a couple feet.

It was then that Robin noticed that they had traveled much father from the shore than they probably should have, and that the sun had already begun to set. He wiped water from his sunglasses, amazed that they had stayed on the whole time.

"We should be heading back," Robin called to Annie. The small girl nodded.

They had just begun to wade back to shore when Annie stepped into a hole about a inch and a half deep. She lost her balance, she stuck her hands out to regain it, and would have been fine if it was not for the fact that at that moment another wave hit.

It swept her off her feet, and sent her tumbling several feet towards the shore. Once the wave had passed she did not immediately resurface.

"Annie!" Robin called his heart beating so hard that he was worried that it might burst threw his chest.

He was just about to call again, but before he could he saw a head pop out of the water not far from wear he stood.

"Annie!" Robin yelled again, but this time with relief. He splashed over to her. She was coughing furiously, trying to clear her lungs of the water that she had swallowed. Robin reach out and grabbed her hand.

Pulling her up so that she was standing up right. She seemed dazed, and the moment Robin released her she stumbled again. Robin reached out and steadied her. It was then that he noticed that her matted hair was not only full of sand, and other ocean debris, but also blood.

Immediately he took his hand off of the arm he had grabbed to steady her, and brought them up to her head.

"Hold still," he commanded strongly. He worked his hands threw her hair, which was no easy task with how matted it was, until he found the source of the blood. It was a gash on her head. It was not to deep, and would most likely not need stitches, but it would need to be cleaned.

He wordlessly wrapped his arm around her waist and began to hurry back to shore. It was only once they had made it back to shore that he spoke again.

"Let's get you inside," he said simply. Annie did not speech, but willingly let him lead her inside.

As soon as they where inside they rushed to the medical bay. Robin pulled a few things out of the draws, he knew exactly wear everything was. Just as Robin had collected everything that he would need Red Tornado walked in.

"What has happened?" his robotic voice asked, seeing two soaked teenagers standing in the medical bay.

"We were in the ocean, Annie hit her head, nothing serious," he said quickly.

"I can see that you have it under control. But I must warn you to be more careful in the future," he said, and then the robot left off down the hallway to go do whatever it is that robots do.

Robin walked over to Annie. They spent the next fifteen minutes on the wound. It should not have taken that long, but they had to detangle her thick hair before they could clean the wound which took a long time. But once her hair was back in order, it only took five minutes to clean the wound.

Robin took a step back. "You should go get changed," he said. They both where still dressed in their sopping wet cloths. She got up and went down the hallway, Robin assumed that she was going to her room.

Robin sighed and made his way to the spare bedroom that was his in case he ever stayed the night there. The room was practically bare, but it did hold a closet where he kept an extra pair of clothes. As Robin got changed he felt a twinge of worry. He knew that Annie would be fine. That the cut had not been bad enough to do any real damaged, but what worried him was how shook up she had seemed.

Annie stood inside her bedroom. She had changed out of the wet clothes, and was now dressed in a pair of pajama paints, and a sleep shirt. She had seen no point in getting dressed in another pair of day cloths, since it was already getting late.

She walked into the bathroom, and stared at the mirror for a second. She still felt shook up. It had been so unexpected. One second she was having fun, and the next she was getting thrown threw the water.

She walked into the living area. Robin was already changed, and was sitting on the coach. He was wrapped up in a blanket, and had two mugs of something in his hand. Annie walked over next to him.

"Here," Robin handed her one of the mugs. She took it. Then Robin grabbed a folded up blanket off of the coach with his now free hand, and handed this to her as well.

She took it and wrapped up in it on the coach next to Robin. She watched Robin take a sip out of his own mug. "It's hot chocolate," he told her. Annie nodded, and took a sip out of her own mug. It was warm and as it slid down her throat to the pit of her stomach she could feel her whole body warm.

They sat silently on the coach for a few minutes drinking the hot chocolate until Robin decided to speech up.

"Annie I'm sorry," he said gravely. She looked at him startled.

"Why are you sorry?" she squeaked.

"I should have paid more attention, and seen that we had gone out to far sooner," he answered her earlier question.

"It is not your fault. You did not cause the wave to hit," she said kindly.

He smiled, and then grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. Robin found a channel playing a marathon of a bunch of classic movies, most of which where black and white, and decided that that would work

The first movie had just finished when Megan, and Superboy walked in. Megan proudly announced that they had won. Robin, and Annie congratulated her.

"I'm exhausted though. I think I'll call it a night," She said and made her way to her bedroom.

"I'm going to bed," Superboy said a few minutes later, and then he also left.

A few minuted after Superboy left Robin texted Batman and let him know that he was going to stay the night at the Mountain.

Annie and Robin watched the marathon well into the night. It was around two thirty in the morning that Robin felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He looked over to see that Annie had fallen asleep, and that her head now rested on his shoulder. If he had been more awake he might have been embarrassed by that, but after all he himself was only on the verge of consciousness, and ten minutes later he fell asleep. The TV still glowed with life, even though there was no one awake to watch the movie that played.

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did why not let me know? And if you didn't please let me know what you didn't like. Either way what I'm trying to say is...PLEASE REVIEW! Nothing helps me write faster than getting a review, and I take them all very seriously and will listen openly to what they say.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Sorry it took so long. Schools been a pain, but knows it's Thanksgiving Break and I have plenty of time to write. I hope you enjoy :)**

Annie was awoken by a sharp pain in her head. Bringing her hand up to her head she touched gently where it hurt. She brought her hand that had been feeling around on her head, and saw that the tips of her fingers where now tinted red, pink in some spots.

She stared for a few seconds not knowing why it was that her hands where red, but then the memories of the night before came flooding back. Her eyes widened, it was then that her groggy mind put together that the color on her hands was blood.

She wanted nothing more than to curl up back under the blanket on the coach and go back to sleep, but she knew that she should check on the wound and make sure that it was OK. Reluctantly she pulled the blanket off and stood up. She could see a small stain of red from where her head had been resting.

She had tried to be silent in getting up. Hoping not to wake Robin who was still asleep, but who could blame him. The clock was only then hitting six in the morning, and they had spent most of the night awake watching TV. Which still played in the background.

A smile formed on her weary face as those thoughts came to mind. Much more pleasant thoughts than the ones of her hitting her head. She had just turned around to make her way to the closest bathroom to utilize it's mirror when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Where are you going?" It was Robin's voice, and it was plagued with the slur of sleep. Annie did not want to alarm him, she could take care of the wound herself. So she lied.

"Nowhere, just getting some water," the words tumbled out of her in a guilty mess.

"OK, be careful," Robin spoke, more asleep than he was awake. Annie wondered why he was telling her to be careful when she had told him that she was just getting water.

"I will," she reassured him. Robin simply nodded, and was asleep again withing seconds.

Annie then stumbled out of the room. She felt bad for lying, she knew that it was just a little white lie one that Robin would most likely not even remember when he woke up. But after how kind, and honest he had been to her, she felt bad for lying to him. No matter how small the lie had been.

She found the closest bathroom and inspected the wound. The bleeding had now subsided. She must have hit her head in her sleep causing it to bleed again, but it had also stopped again. Annie splashed her face a couple time and then walked back to the living area.

She had considered going back to her room and going back to sleep, but she had decided against it. Instead she sat down on the opposite side of the couch than Robin, and watched the show that droned out on the TV screen.

She did not know what the show was, nor did she care. For she was more preoccupied by her own thoughts, than the TV show. So much had changed in the last few weeks for the young experiment. For the first time in her life she experienced first hand what it was like to live.

Annie held her breath as Robin shifted in his sleep on the opposite end of the couch. That brought her thoughts to the people. Since she had left the Lab she had grown to care for more people than she ever had.

Ms. Martinez, that used to be it, there was no one else for her to care about. But know, know the list had grown to be exponentially longer. There were a couple kids at school that she thought she might care for, such as Dick Grayson, but in general her feeling to the kids at Gotham Academy were still very skeptical. She also found that she cared for the few grown superheros she had met. And then there was the Team. Her feeling were the most strong towards them.

Kaldur, the leader of the team. He was very understanding, and seemed willing to listen and considered what others had to say. It had been him after all who had answered her questions when they had just gotten her out.

There was also Superboy. Sure he was a little hard on the outside. But the clone had been nice to Annie, she thought recalling the occasions when he had lended her his shirt, and when he had given her a piece of toast one morning for breakfast.

Megan was also among them. The girl had been nothing but kind to Annie. The martian had on several occasions allowed Annie to help her fix meals, and she was always very patient in showing her how it was done.

Artemis, the archer who went to school with Annie. The blond was tough, and Annie had seen her hit Wally several times to keep him in line, and they always seemed to be yelling at each other. But Artemis had never yelled at Annie. The archer would also always give Annie a warm greeting whenever they saw each other in the hallways of school.

Then there was the boy that Artemis was always arguing with, Wally. The speedster was always insanely hyper, and he had an extremely high metabolism. He was funny, and always carefree. He was not always the best with words, Annie had not forgotten how he had stumbled over an explanation that night at the mall when she had received her name, but Annie still liked him.

And that left Robin. Annie had found that she did not understand her feeling for Robin. She did care for him, like she did with the others. But there was something else, another emotion. She did not know what is was, for she had never felt it before.

What she did know was that she liked talking to him, she remembered the way he had patiently explained the evils of the world to her when they were in the library several days ago. She also remembered how concerned he had been for her the day before when she had gotten hurt.

The way he had yelled out her name worry filling his speech, and how when he had found her the way he immediately took control of the situation. She also remembered how safe she had felt the night before when they had stayed up watching movies, how they had laughed the night away in front of the dully glowing screen.

Annie did not have a name for the emotion, but she thought that it was safe to say, that whatever it was, she liked it.

After that her mind seemed to settle, and she was able to better concentrate on the show that played before her eyes. It was 7:30 in the morning when Megan floated in to the room. The martian went over to Annie.

"Good morning," Megan beamed.

"Good morning," Annie spoke the same words as the green-skinned woman, but hers were not half as filled with joy as Megan's.

"What are you watching?" Megan asked as she settled on the coach next to Annie.

"I think the show is called, 'I Love Lucy,'" Annie told her.

"Oh, I think that I have heard of that, is it good?" Megan asked excitedly.

"Yes, I suppose so," the younger said.

It was then that their talking aroused Robin from his sleep. It was also then that Megan noticed that he was here.

"Robin, why were you asleep on the Cave's coach?" Megan asked him, confused.

"Annie, and I fell asleep watching TV," he answered simply

"OK, well I'm going to go get some breakfast, do either of you want to come?" Megan asked as she stood up.

"Yes, I'll come," Annie said feeling a pang of hunger pierce her stomach.

"In a minute," Robin said, and walked down another hallway.

Megan, and Annie went to the kitchen and started cooking eggs. Robin joined them not long after, his face looked brighter and his hair had been tamed. Then Superboy joined them just as the eggs were finishing.

They all ate dinner together. Superboy did not ask why Robin was there, he simply let it be. Around forty minutes after they finished eating the others began to arrive for training which would be taking place soon.

Wally was the last to arrive. He greeted all the others and Annie, and then he began to chatter away to Robin. Annie had been standing next to Robin, and was therefor in on their whole conversation. But she did not understand any of what they were talking about, and quickly felt out of place.

Wally seemed to notice this, and tried to include her.

"Yeah, so were all here for training," he told Annie. The young girl felt sympathy grip her heart as she heard those words.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she sympathized. Wally, and Robin looked perplexed at that.

"Why are you sorry?" Robin asked her. Annie felt like a deer caught in head lights as they both stared at her waiting for an answer.

"It's just that I've trained before, and it was," she stumbled over the words till Robin interrupted her. He understood what she was trying to say.

"Well our training here is different than what yours probably was," he told her. Annie's cheeks flushed, she lowered her head to hide it and nodded in response.

"Hey, why don't you train with us?" Wally asked. Annie was at a loss for words, afraid that if she responded she would say something stupid again.

Robin was trying to compose a reply when someone else spoke.

"That's actually not a bad idea Wally," a female voice rung. The whole Team, plus Annie, turned to see that a woman with blond hair, and a form fitting black uniform had entered.

"I'm Black Canary the Teams training instructor," the woman introduced herself to Annie.

"I'm Annie," the brown haired girl told her. Black Canary nodded, it was information that she had already been made aware of.

"Well Annie if you want to you are welcomed to join us," Black Canary told her.

"OK, I guess I will," Annie was unsure if she wanted to train. She had never liked training at the Lab.

"Hooray!" Megan exclaimed, and grabbed the youngers hand, and pulled her to stand next to the mate. The others followed.

"Artemis and Kaldur you will go first," She told them. The two in question obliged, and got up on to the sparing floor and prepared to spare.

The match lasted for awhile, and it seemed that they were evenly matched. But then Artemis caught Kaldur's feet, and he fell to the floor. The computer declared Artemis the winner as she walked over to were Kaldur was lying on the floor. Annie's hands clenched, but they relaxed when they saw Artemis helping him to his feet Kaldur to his feet.

"Good job, Wally, you and Annie can go next," Black Canary said. Wally jumped up on to the floor, and Annie followed tentatively. "Remember, no powers," Black Canary let them know. Annie nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Wally said laughing when he saw how tense she was. Annie was not sure weither she should feel insulted or grateful. She decided to discard the comment all together.

Black Canary told them to go. Wally took a swing at her head with in seconds. Annie nimbly ducked under his arm so that she was standing behind him. She then gently pushed him so that he stumbled forwards. Wally quickly whipped around, and found his footing again.

Annie had not pushed him hard at all. They stood staring at each other for a second, Wally was waiting for her to make the next move. But eventually he became impatient, and he came at her again. Annie dodged most of his attacks, she was small and quick on her feet. The hits that did make contact with her body were never full on hits, only brushing against her.

She did not fight back, and that was her downfall. Annie stuck mainly to just dodging his hits, and when she did make her own attack they were always weak, and not really trying. The girl hated violence. She had been trained by the Lab to fight with out mercy, but Martinez had given the girl morals.

She had seen multiple opening where she could have hit Wally, and maybe even have won. But she found that she could not. She knew how it felt to be hit, and she did not like it, so she found that she could not insist that pain on another. Even if it was just sparing and none of their hits were supposed to be at full power.

She just could not do it. And because of that Wally eventually overpowered her, and she fell to the ground. The sound of the computer announcing Wally victorious rung in her ears as she lay face down on the floor.

Annie heard footsteps coming towards her, and her body instinctively tensed awaiting for the blows that she refused to give to others to be inflicted upon herself. But instead of a beating, Wally helped her to her feet. He laughed as he spoke.

"You did pretty good, you almost had me a couple time their," he encouraged her.

"Yes you did do pretty good," Black Canary told her as the training continued with Megan and Robin going next

**So, things should begin to pick up soon. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I should be updating soon.**

**Reviews are gratefuly apriciated. I love hearing what you guys think.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, or anything else other than Annie.**

**Yes, just as I promised. Another chapter.**

**Please enjoy!**

It was Wednesday, and Annie and Dick had just left history class and were on their way to the lunch room. Dick listened as Annie chattered away about what they had talked about during history. He had never seen her this relaxed during school.

She had this light in her eyes. He had seen it before as Robin whenever she discovered something that she had not known before, but he had never seen it as Dick Grayson before. It made his heart burn in a certain way to know that she had grown to trust Dick enough to open up to him even in the small way of showing her emotions openly.

His heart suddenly froze though when he saw a familiar face walking towards them. It was Janet Nixon. Janet had the body image of a model, tall and thin, she had obviously fake blue eyes and red hair that was just as fake as her eyes, though she insisted that it was her natural color.

Janet had taken a disliking to Annie. Dick was not sure why that was. He suspected that it was simply the fact that Annie was easy to make fun of. Annie tried to fit in and be as normal as possible, but she was still different.

Janet bumped into, and nearly knocked over Annie as she walked by. "Little freak," he heard Janet snarl to her friend that walked with her. He could also hear their fits of laughter as they walked down the hall.

"You OK?" Dick asked as he steadied her.

"I'm fine, and you can let go off me now," Annie said stiffly.

"OK," Dick said shocked as he took a step away from her. He wondered if she would have responded in the same way to Robin. He blushed and pushed the thought away.

"You know, you shouldn't really let Janet bother you. She has something bad to say about everybody," his statement was very true, Janet talked bad about everybody.

"Janet doesn't bother me," Annie said cocking her head to the side as she spoke.

"Really, not at all?" Dick asked, not sure if he believed her.

"Not at all," she replied with slight annoyance.

Janet truly did not bother her. Annie knew that Janet did not like her, it was obvious. But she did not care all the girl ever did was talk about her, the most physical it ever got was the occasional bump in the hallway. The day that Janet decided to use her fist instead of her words would be the day that Annie started caring.

The rest of her school day went generally well. Lunch was nice as she got to talk, well she did more listening than actual talking, to everybody. Annie liked listening to everybody else talk, it gave her a chance to see how normal kids acted.

Art went well also, and science was better than usual. Annie hated science class, it was not the subject itself, but Mr. Miller her science teacher, she still just could not get over how much he looked like Mr. Whitley. And she was able to get all her homework done in study hall.

When the finale bell rang both Dick and Annie went to their locker. Dick quickly grabbed his stuff, and said goodbye to Annie and then was gone. He usually took his time and waited for Artemis to come, and for Annie to leave with her, but not today. Today he was in a hurry. Batman had tipped him off that the Team was getting a mission today, and he wanted to hurry and get to the Mountain. Of course with it being a school night it would be a simple mission, but still a mission none the less.

Artemis found Annie a few minutes after Dick had flashed out of the building. Then both of them went into the girl's bathroom and changed into civvies. Artemis had suggested that they start bringing a change of clothes after she had arrived at the Mountain one day in her school uniform and was teased for days by Wally about it.

Artemis was dressed in a white tank top and a dark jacket, along with jeans and black boots. Annie was wearing a red shirt and gray jeans, along with a black jacket and converse.

They both shivered as they stepped out of the heated building. It was November, and Thanksgiving was just around the corner. The chilled air blew them as they walked.

"So where was your friend? You two are usually joined at the hip till you leave," Artemis asked.

"Dick?" Artemis nodded, and Annie continued. "I don't know, he left in a real hurry today," Annie said a hint of curiosity in her voice. Artemis nodded as if she was contemplating this.

"I think he has a crush on you," The blond stated. Annie looked at her quizzically.

"What," she said.

"I mean the way he has latched on to you. He just has to like you," the archer said.

"We do spend a lot of time together at school," the young girl said not really sure what they were talking about.

"You like him, don't you," Artemis teased. Annie was confused, she did not see why Artemis was getting so excited about this. She had never seen the older girl act this way except for the night when she had first joined the Team, and Megan and Artemis were talking about guys, another conversation that she had not understood.

"Yes, I do like him, but I like you and the rest of the Team more because I trust you guys," Annie said after some consideration.

"No, I don't mean that kind of like. I mean 'like like,'" Artemis said making air quotes as she said, 'like like.'

"I have no idea what you talking about," Annie was completely stumped. Artemis took a breath.

"OK, 'like liking' someone is what people say when they like someone in a romantic way. Crush means the same thing," Artemis explained.

Annie thought about that. "OK, I think I understand what you saying," Annie said. They had just then made to the alley that held the zeta beam and were standing in front of it still talking. They had no idea that they had only missed Robin by a matter of minutes.

"Do you like Dick then?" Artemis asked.

"No," Annie most defiantly did not like Dick romantically, she barley even trusted the boy.

"Hmm, OK, well we should probably go to the Mountain now," Artemis said letting the conversation die. Annie nodded and then stepped into the zeta beam transporter.

The computer announced her arrival, and then Artemis's. They were both surprised to see that Batman was there, and the rest of the Team was also there all dressed in their costumes.

"About time you showed up, were getting a mission," Wally grumbled irritably. Artemis glared at him, but other than that she did not respond.

"As I was saying," Batman continued with the de-briefing. Annie stood awkwardly with the group, not sure if she should be there or not. She did not really listen to what they were all talking about until she heard her name be mentioned.

"What about Annie, can she come?" Megan asked. Batman's eyes narrowed as he turned from Megan to Annie. He seemed to be considering what she had said.

"It is a simple mission, and she is trained," Kaldur put in.

"Yeah, we won't let her get hurt Bats," Robin spoke to his mentor.

"OK, but you will need to find her something to wear," Batman said, and then he dismissed the Team.

After he was gone Artemis rushed of to get changed, and Robin grabbed Annie's hand. She did not know why but feeling his hand in hers made her heart rush.

"Come on, I have an extra mask you can borrow," he said as he dragged her out of the room.

"Hurry," Kaldur called after them.

They both stood in front of Robin's spare room at the Cave. He had grabbed the mask and was holding it out to her. Annie took it from him and held it.

"Do you think you have anything you could wear? Like maybe a dark shirt, and some pants that are easy to move in," Robin asked.

"I..I might," She stuttered as she stared down at the mask refusing to make eye contact with him. "I know we need to hurry, but can you please explain to me what's going on?" she asked looking up at him.

"Sure, where going on a mission to get some information for the League, does that help?" Robin told her.

"Yes, it does," Annie told him though she still did not get what was going on. "I'll see if I can find something to wear," she said and then she walked of down the hall to her room.

After rummaging in her draws, Annie changed into a gray shirt, and black pants that moved better than jeans. She kept on the same jacket and converse. She then walked out of her room, not taking the time to look in the mirror.

Annie ran to the launch bay were everybody was waiting in their uniforms by the Bio Ship. They then all hurried into the ship, and were on their way in no time. While on the ship Annie turned to Robin. She still had the mask clutch in her hand.

"I don't want to mess it up," she said holding it out to him. Robin took it in his gloved hand, but did not keep it.

"Hold still," he said as he gently placed the mask on her face. "There," he said triumphantly as he brought his hands back to inspect his work. "Looks good on you," he said without thinking. Both of their cheeks flared a red color in embarrassment. Wally had heard their conversation and had seen his best friends embarrassment. So naturally he began to snicker.

"Thank you," Annie said awkwardly.

The rest of the flight was silent. Which was not bad considering that it was a short flight. It only took twenty-five minutes to get from Mount Justice to the city of Bludhaven. Once there Megan put the camouflaged ship down on a rooftop a couple buildings away from the building that they were supposed to infiltrate.

"Megan put up the mental link," Kaldur commanded.

'OK,' Megan's voice rung threw all their heads. Annie stumbled back in surprise, walking into Superboy in the process. Superboy growled at her under his breath.

"Sorry," Annie whispered as she took a step away from him.

'It's fine. You should have seen the way he freaked out the first time Megan used it,' Wally thought to her. Earning him a glare from Superboy.

'Enough, we don't need to be wasting time,' Kaldur commanded all of them. Annie silently nodded. 'Thank you,' Kaldur replied to their silence. They then made their way across the rooftop to the designated building. Annie stuck near Robin as they silently slipped in threw a window.

The others followed, except for Artemis and Superboy who were told to keep watch outside. It did not take long for the five who were inside the building to locate the room that held the computer with the information.

Kaldur, Megan, Wally, and Annie kept watch as Robin hacked the computer. It was going well.

'Are you sure this is the right building?' Wally asked for threw the link.

'Why would you think that this isn't the right building?' Megan answered with another question.

'Well beautiful, it's just that we haven't seen any guards, and if this information is so important than why isn't it better guarded,' Wally answered her.

'Your wrong about that Wally. I can see a group of people, probably guards, coming you way,' Superboy said after he had used his infrared vision.

**Another chapter, finished. I hope Annie's conversation with Artemis was OK. I wasn't sure if it sounded to out of character for Artemis. I considered taking it out, but decided against it.**

**So the next chapter should be filled with action. I don't know when I'll get it up since I'm going back to school Monday. Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Please Enjoy!**

'How many?' Kaldur asked. There was a pause and then an answer,

'Five, but I can see more on different levels,' Superboy informed them. Annie stood near Robin listening to their conversation ring in her head.

'Are you almost done, Rob?' Wally asked his friend over the psychic link.

'I'm downloading the files now, but there's a lot of them. It will take a few minutes to download them all,' Robin replied not looking away from the computer screen as he spoke.

Annie crouched down next to him, and looked over his shoulder at the screen. She felt calm, though she had never been on a mission before, either with the Team or the Lab, she had been prepared for it. Yes, the thought of a fight did worry her, but she had full faith in the Team, and believed that they knew exactly what they were doing.

'Their going to be rounding the corner soon,' Superboy informed them.

'You guys go ahead and head out, I'll find another way out and catch up,' Robin told them. The guards would be there soon, and Kaldur had not time to argue with him.

'Ok,' Kaldur agreed. He began to make his way out into the hallway with the others. He saw that Annie had not moved from her place next to Robin.

Kaldur made a split-second decision, 'Annie stay with Robin.' He then made his way down the hall with the others to go to where Artemis and Superboy were keeping watch. Kaldur wondered if he made the right choice. He wondered that a lot in fact, being leader was no walk in the park after all. Everyone depended on him, and expected him to make the right choices.

He knew that this was a covert mission. They were supposed to get in and then get out with out being seen. However there was the chance that Robin would be seen, and if he was Kaldur did not want him to be alone. Kaldur thought trying to convince himself that he had made a good choice.

Annie and Robin were still in the room. Robin had nearly downloaded all the information. It would be a matter of seconds now. Annie quietly stood up from her position next to Robin. She silently walked to the door and peaked around the corner without being seen.

She went back to Robin and whispered to him, "their at the end of the hall." Robin nodded quickly still staring at the screen. He then only seconds later stood up and triumphantly whispered,

"got it," to Annie.

He then surveid the room. He was looking for somewhere they could hide until the guards passed. Robin saw it. He pointed to an air vent to show Annie what he was thinking. She nodded in understanding.

The vent was positioned near the ceiling of the room. However the ceiling was low, and Robin was able to reach it by standing on the desk that held the computer. He pulled out the grate and climbed in. Annie then got up onto the desk and reached for the vent, she came up just a little bit short. Robin reached out his hand and pulled her up into the vent.

"Grab the grate," Robin whispered to her. Annie answered by reaching down, Robin had to hold onto her ankle to keep her from falling, and grabbing the grate off of the desk where Robin had left it.

She had just slipped back into the vent, and placed the grate in place when the guards walked by. They both held their breath, hoping that the guards would just keep walking. That seemed to be the case, as four of the five walked by without a second glance, but the fifth was another story. He stopped and peered into the room with suspicion.

He had just taken a step inside when another guard appeared.

"What are you doing, Danny?" the second guard asked. The one who was inside the room, the one apparently named, 'Danny,' looked at the other guard.

"Shouldn't this door be closed, and locked, Logan?" Danny asked the other guard, 'Logan.'

"Sure, but they probably just forgot to lock it when they left," Logan answered exasperated.

"But why would they do that? I bet there's important information on this computer. What is on this computer any ways?" Danny said pointing at the computer Robin had been previously hacking.

"I have no idea. All I know is where supposed to guard it just like all the other crap in this building," Logan said as he glanced out the door just in time to see the other three guards turn the corner.

Logan sighed. "Why do you think the door was left open?" He asked Danny, ready to here his crazy theory.

"I don't think it was left open," Danny paused for effect, "I think someone broke in," Danny told him. Logan laughed, and walked into the room.

He playfully shoved Danny in a way that good friends would. They were after all best friends. They had gone to high school together, then collage, where they both dropped out. A couple months ago Logan landed this job. He knew it was a little shady, but it paid well, really well. A week ago Danny had been hired because of a few good words from Logan to the boss.

During this whole conversation Robin and Annie had stayed where they were in the vent. They where afraid that if they tried to go deeper into the ventilation system they would make too much noise and inform the two guards of their presence. So they stayed still hoping that the guards would move on soon.

"Your going to end up getting us both fired, knucklehead," Logan teased.

"Hey, it's very possible that there could be thieves in the building," Danny justified himself.

"Then where did these 'thieves' go?" Logan asked his friend.

"I don't know? Maybe their hiding in the shadows listen to us as we speak, just waiting for the chance to escape," Danny joked, Logan laughed. They were both joking now.

"Their probably hiding under the desk," Logan said as he playfully looked under the desk.

Logan then spotted the vent. He jumped up onto the desk, he staggered for a second as he almost lost his balance.

"No, their in the vents. Aren't they?" Logan said. He was referring to a movie they had seen the other day in which the antagonist had sneaked threw a building using the air vents. Danny laughed, he nodded his head,

"Defiantly," he chocked out between fits of laughter.

Logan laughed as well, and shook the vents grate. He was surprised when the thing came off easily. He stared at it puzzled, Danny had stopped laughing and had pulled out and loaded his gun.

Robin felt his breath catch. They had two choices know. They could try and make it down the vent without being seen. Robin found that very unlikely, there was a long straight before they would make it to a turn, and after the turn he had no idea where to go. Their other option was to subdue the guards, hopefully before they would be able to fire any shots.

Robin had run both those scenarios over in his head in barley a second. He also made a decision in that second. He was going to tell Annie, who was in front of him, to jump out, but did not have the chance.

Annie swung out of the vent, her feet making contact with the side of Logan's head. Logan stumbled \ his ears ringing and a trickle of blood running down his temple where Annie's shoes had hit hard enough to draw blood. He tripped on the computer and fell to the ground, fracturing his wrist in the process. Logan was still conscious, but he was dazed and in a lot of pain.

Annie landed on the desk. She glanced at Logan who was on the ground in a heap, and felt bad for hurting him.

Danny fired a shot at Annie, he missed. Danny was a good shot, but put him under pressure and he could not hit the broad side of a barn. Robin threw a bird-a-rang, it hit the gun and made Danny drop it. Robin jumped out of the vent and landed on the ground in front of Danny.

Danny took a half-hearted swing at Robin. The Boy Wonder easily ducked under the fist, and kicked him in the side of his left knee. This caused Danny to stumble. He had no time to recover before Robin kicked him in the abdomen. Danny sunk to the ground wheezing as he tried to recover the air that had been knocked out of him.

"Come on, I'm sure the other guards heard the gun shot," Robin said as he darted into the hallway, Annie on his heels. They where greeted by several gunshots from the other three guards that Danny and Logan had been patrolling with.

They ran down the long hallway as quick as they could. As they ran Robin pulled up the schematics of the building on his computer. He had not done this is the vent because he had not wanted Danny and Logan to see the light it gave off. He quickly found the nearest exit.

"Go left," He yelled to Annie when they came to the end of the hallway. They were greeted by another group of guards.

"I mean right," Robin yelled as his shoes skidded as he tried to turn around.

They both where running down the hallway that going right had put them on. They had eight guards tailing them.

'Are you guys all right? Superboy said he heard gun shots,' Wally's voice asked in their heads.

'Were fine, but our covers blown. Meet us on the top of the building with the Bio-ship,' Robin told them.

'Ok,' this time it was Megan's voice.

"How are we getting to the roof?" Annie asked him.

"A fire escape," Robin told her. "This way," he said running down another hallway. One of the guards was getting really close to them. It was a man with really short brown hair, and boy could he run.

"It's at the end of this hallway," Robin informed her.

Annie nodded, but Robin could not see because she was a couple steps behind him. Robin came to the end of the hallway and yanked the door open.

Annie was almost to the door herself when something heavy and hard slammed into her. She fell to the ground with a surprised scream. Robin heard her, and turned to see that the guard with the short brown hair had tackled her.

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask.

"Get off of her!" Robin yelled as he ran up and kicked the man square in the mouth. The man tumbled back blood and spit poured from his mouth that was now missing two front teeth. Robin pulled Annie off of the floor, and pulled her long by the hand.

They had just made it up the first ladder of the fire escape when three guards burst through the door beneath them. Annie paused and shot an orb of white energy at one of the guards. They climbed up two more ladders.

Robin then shot a grappling hook that caught the side of the roof. He then grabbed Annie and the wire pulled them so that they were hanging on the edge of the roof. A couple shots were fired at them, all of which missed.

Kaldur then looked over the edge, he took Annie's hand and pulled her up onto the roof. Once Annie was out of his hands, Robin hoisted himself up onto the roof. The whole Team was there with the camouflaged Bio-ship. The only reason he knew it was there was because the ramp was down and he could see the interior.

They then all rushed into the Bio-ship. Which took off at Megan's command. The seven teens where silent for the first few minutes of the ride until Artemis broke it.

"Did you get the information?" she asked Robin.

"Yes," he replied.

"Did either of you get hurt?" Kaldur asked.

"I'm fine. One of the guards did get a hold of Annie though," Robin said.

"Are you ok?" Kaldur turned and asked Annie.

"Yes, I'm fine," Annie answered. That, however, was a lie.

She was fine in the fact that she had not been injured, but she was not fine in the fact that she could not get Logan out of her head. The way he had been laying on the ground in so much pain. Pain which Annie had caused him to feel.

**I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review and tell me if you did or if you didn't.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**I am deeply sorry from the bottom of my heart that it took me so long to update.**

**I have been very busy with school and other things. That and I also had temporarily lost my motivation on this story (I blame it on lack of new episodes :/) But at no point did I ever consider even for a second giving up on this story, because I do fully intend on finishing. Anyways I went back and read some of the old chapters and found my motivation again.**

**Please enjoy! This chapter is fluffy, probably the most fluffy thing I've ever written.**

It was dark and cold. Annie did not know where she was or how she had gotten there, but at that time it did not matter.

She saw a light off in the distance, a strange light. At first glance it seemed to be a simple yellow dot on the horizon, something that could be produced from the light of a far off shop, but upon further inspection it proved to be more fascinating.

For what had started as a small barley visible yellow light had now grown, and still was growing. It was not that the light itself was getting larger, no, it was getting closer.

The fact that it was getting larger was not the only change she saw. It was also dancing like a live flame, and it appeared to be changing colors. One second it was plane yellow, like the flame from a candle, then it would dance and change to a pastel pink then again it would change, but this time to a lavender.

It continued to change as it danced. It changed to colors that should seem very strange, maybe even frightening, for what appeared to be a flame to take on. But not to Annie. No, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to her in that second. Not only natural, but appealing.

Annie found herself filled with the undying need to reach the rainbow flame and let it consume her. She watched expectantly as it drew nearer. It got warmer as it got closer. A smile graced her lips as she tried to take a step towards the inviting light, but found that she could not.

Her smile dropped as she glanced down at her ankles and became aware that something had wrapped around them. Annie panicked and began to attempt to brake free, but to no avail. The light had stopped growing, and stayed where it was. As if waiting for her to reach it, waiting for her to meet it half way

Annie fell to the ground and tried to claw her way forward, but whatever had been holding her ankles began to drag her backwards. More of the things began to grab onto her. She was not sure what it was; ropes, possibly vines of some sort, or maybe hands, cold dead hands.

As the things continued to pull her away the light began to diminish until it disappeared completely. She began to yell as she tried in vain to escape.

Dick Grayson sat in Study Hall. The class was almost over, and he had nothing to do. He messed with his pencil, and stared at the clock counting the minutes until class was over. He counted about ten. It was Thursday, and the day before they had gone on a mission.

It had been Annie's first mission. He thought as he glanced over at her. She sat in the chair next to him, asleep. He could not blame her really, by the time they had gotten back to the Mountain it was late and he assumed that she was not used to running on little sleep the way he was after years of being Robin.

He had asked her that morning if she was okay, she seemed to be out of it the whole day. She had told him that she was simply tired because she had trouble falling asleep the night before, now whether that was the truth, or a cover up was a lose to Dick.

Dick would ask he later as Robin if she was OK. He assumed that he would get a more truthful answer than. He smiled to himself. He always like talking to Annie as Robin. It was to him that she let her guard down and let her true colors come out. He wished that Dick held her trust the way that Robin did.

His smile left his face when he saw movement coming from Annie's desk. He glanced over to see that she had moved in her sleep, but something was not right. Her hands were clenched in tight fist, and her over all body language screamed defensive.

He knew what was happening. He was going to shake her awake, and keep it from growing any worse, but he did not get a chance to. Because right when he was about to reach over and awake her. She awoke her self.

But it was in no way a graceful awakening. Her head had shot of her desk like a bullet, and a loud screech had escaped from her mouth which cut through the silence of the room like a knife. After her outburst the room fell silent. Several of the students did not know what had happened

"Annie," Dick had called to her. She looked over, confusion plagued her eyes. The other students grasped what had happened and the silence of the room was once again damaged as the majority of the class became to laugh and whisper about what had happened.

It was then that reality came crashing back on Annie. Her cheeks flared and she quickly looked away from Dick.

"Quiet down, quiet down!" the teacher of the room yelled over the commotion. This silenced some of the more obedient students, but not the ones who did not care about getting in trouble. No, they may have lowered their voices, but the whispers and snickers where still very apparent.

The teacher was going to yell at them again, but did not get a chance before the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. Annie quickly gathered her stuff, and bolted out of the room. She heard Dick call for her to wait, but she ignored him.

She ran through the crowded hallways. It did not take her long to arrive at her locker. She put her things in her locker quickly and made a move to leave the building, but not before running into Dick.

"Are you OK?" He asked concerned. Annie thought that it was sincere, that possibly he really was worried about her. For just one second she had the overwhelming urge to tell him everything, but it passed quickly.

"I'm fine," she answered him. He did not look convinced.

"Are you sure?" he pressed hoping that she would trust him.

"Yes, if you see Artemis tell her I'm waiting outside for her," she then walked away not waiting for his answer.

Dick watched her go with mild disappointment.

As soon as Annie arrived back at the Mountain she went to her room and changed. She had been in such a hurry to leave the school that she had not taken the time to change in the bathroom like she usually did.

After changing she looked into the mirror. Her thoughts drifted to the events from the night before. It had been her first mission and she still could not stop thinking about it. But more specifically, she could not stop thinking about Logan, the guard from the facility. She wondered what had happened to him after that. She hoped that he had gotten medical attention and that the injuries had not been to severe.

That was not the only thing that troubled her. The nightmares had returned. She used to have them all the time, but since she had left the Lab they had decreased drastically in number. That is until resonantly when the nightmares had returned with full force making it nearly impossible for her to sleep at all without having one.

Letting out a sigh, she left the bathroom and sat down at the desk in her room and began doing her homework. She had been working for nearly hour, and was almost done when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

She looked over her shoulder to see Robin standing in the door way to her room. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes. Annie had wondered why he always wore sunglasses, but had never wondered enough to ask him.

"Hello," she greeted. Robin smiled and, taking her greeting as an invitation, he walked further into her room.

"Hey, are you OK? I was a little worried that I didn't see when I arrived," he said. Annie flushed, she was not sure why though.

Annie knew what he was referring to. She had made it a habit to run up and greet him every time the computer announced his arrival.

"Sorry, I was doing homework. I must have been so caught up that I didn't hear the announcement," she spoke sincerely. Robin smiled.

"It's fine, but seriously are you OK?" He asked, smile disappearing to be replaced with a look of deepest concern. For a moment she considered telling him that she was, 'fine,' just as she had told her friend from school. Then she decided that she wanted to voice her concerns to someone and that no one was better suited for the job than Robin.

"No," she replied simply. Robin, tired of standing, took a seat on the edge of her bed, indicating that he was ready to listen.

"What's bugging you?" Robin asked.

Annie stood up from the desk chair, and took a seat next to him on the bed. She contemplated for a second on what to say.

"I keep on thinking about the mission and can't seem to get it out of my head," she said. Robin had thought that that was it. He was about to reply to her, when she continued.

"But it's not only that. I've started having nightmares again," she confided in him.

"Again?" Robin asked. The second it left his mouth he knew that it had been a stupid question.

She had grown up in a lab, and had spent her whole life up until a little over a month ago, when they had saved her, being completely DE-humanized by everyone she knew except for one person, Ms. Martinez, so of course she would have had nightmares.

"Yes, I used to have nightmares a lot. They stopped after I came here, but recently..." she trailed off. She looked down at her small hands. She was lost in her own thoughts for a few moments but she was pulled out of them when she felt arms wrap around her in a comforting embrace.

Robin was not sure what had posed him to hug the girl. He suspected that it might be that he was no stranger when it came to pain and suffering. He had, had nightmares for a long time after his parents died. He still had nightmares to that day, but they were a much more rare occurrence than they once had been.

At first the sudden embrace had startled Annie, but then she accepted it and found herself feeling very safe. She took her head off his shoulder, where it had previously been resting, and leaned back looking him in the eyes, or well sunglasses.

Their faces were an appropriate distance apart, but still it might have been uncomfortably close to some. Robin looked at her, inspecting her face.

He thought her brown eyes were beautiful. There was nothing special about her eyes. They were dark brown, a very common color that hundreds of people had, but Robin thought they were the most captivating eyes he had ever seen.

He felt a shock rush threw him as a thought crossed his mind. Robin came to the realization that he had taken quit the fancy to the strange girl.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words were never heard for it was someone else who spoke.

"There you are Robin!" Wally exclaimed. "Oh, am I interrupting something between you and your girlfriend," Wally teased his eyes taking on a mischievous twinkle with the last word.

'Girlfriend,' Annie was not sure exactly what that meant. Robin had jumped up in embarrassment. Annie also felt her cheeks flush, and found herself standing as well.

"No. No, Annie's not my girlfriend," Robin stated his voice stuttering slightly with embarrassment.

Wally found joy in his friend's pain, and decided to continue. The ginger's face took on a serious expression. He had placed his pointer finger on his chin and was nodding his head slowly.

"But you want her to be," he sated seriously.

He broke out laughing as the younger's face had flushed an even deeper red. Annie stayed out of the conversation. Wally continued.

"After all it is so obvious that you have a crush on her," Wally snickered, Robin may be the partner of the great Dark Knight, but he was also a thirteen year old boy.

Now there was a word Annie knew, 'Crush.' Artemis had informed her of it's meaning a while back when the blonde had stated that she thought Dick had a crush on her. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered its meaning.

She watched as Robin lunged at Wally. Who quickly dodged and was out of the room in a flash with Robin at his heels in deathly pursuit.

She heard Wally call out a, "That's not a no," as he ran down the hallway being pursued by his friend. Annie, not wanting to be left alone, joined Robin in his pursuit of the speedster.

They spent the better part of the next hour chasing after each other. Until the trio finally came to a stop by the zeta-beams. Annie immediately began laughing.

"That was so much fun," she stated happily. The whole thing had been like a big game of tag, and Annie having never played such games as a child had found it very enjoyable.

Wally began laughing two, he had grown found of the younger girl and had begun to think of her as a younger sibling. Robin laughed to, his anger at Wally forgotten.

After they had finally calmed down, Wally and Robin moved to make their exit.

"Bye," Wally called, and then was gone. Robin moved to leave also, but Annie stopped him.

"Thanks. I feel better now," she told him, and it was absolutely true. Robin smiled.

"See you tomorrow," and then he was gone as well.

Annie stood there alone for a moment. Wally's earlier words ringing in her head, 'crush.' Is that how she felt. She had recently found that she held an emotion for the young dark haired boy that she had not been able to identify before.

But the more she stood their in silence the more sure she was that that is what it was. A romantic attraction, a 'crush.'

**Tadda! I hope it was ok! Romance had never been my strong point so I would love to hear how I did! And once again I am sorry for the long wait, and hope that it was worth the wait!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**So, I just want to thank anyone who is reading this story (especially those who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted :D) I know I'm a slow writer, and I want to thank those who have had enough patience to stick around. Please enjoy!**

It was Friday. School had already ended and Annie sat on the coach in the Cave. She had found that she was very board. Her boredom found a cure when the computer announced Robin's arrival. Smiling she jumped off the coach and ran to were he would be at.

Robin grinned when he saw her. He was dressed in civies. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hello," Annie beamed. They stood there talking about nothing in particular for quit some time when suddenly Robin asked.

"Do you want to spar?" Annie considered the question.

"I don't see why not," she answered.

"Awesome, I've been in the mood to spar someone all day," he said with a grin as he stepped onto the sparing platform.

Annie followed him. They spent the next couple hours training. By the end of it they were both sitting on the floor panting.

"Your really good at martial arts," he complimented.

"Thank you, I was forced to practice a lot," at the Lab she had spent hours practicing. She had hated it. In fact practicing at the Lab was what Annie would consider to be hell.

Robin did not make a comment on what she had said. They fell into a comfortable silence.

"Do you want to go rollerblading tomorrow?" Robin suddenly cut through the silence with his question. Annie looked at him.

"What's rollerblading?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, uh, it's where people put shoes on that have wheels on the bottom and they roll around on them," was his brief explanation. Annie considered this for a second. It sounded weird to the strange girl.

"Is it fun?" Annie asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'd love to go then. Are the others going?" Annie smiled. Robin's cheeks had flushed ever so slightly.

"No, it would be just us. If that's okay with you of course" he stumbled out.

"It's fine with me. I like spending time with you," Robin beamed at her words.

"I'll pick you up around noon," Robin said as he made his way to leave. Annie nodded in silent agreement.

"See you tomorrow," she called as he disappeared.

Annie spent the rest of the day thinking about what would transpire the next day. She was very excited. The experiment enjoyed spending time with Robin. Annie suspected that it had something to do with the fact that she had a crush on him, but she could not be sure. The idea of crushes was still very new to her mind.

The preteen slept well that night. She tossed a bit at around one in the morning due to an unpleasant dream. It was not bad enough to wake her, and after a few minutes of restlessness she had drifted back to the pleasant side of Dreamvill.

She spent the next morning with Megan and Artemis. Artemis was practicing shooting her arrows. The three girls all chatted as Artemis practiced.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Artemis asked as she sent an arrow directly into the center of the target. Megan shook her head no.

"I do," Annie said.

"What are you doing?" Megan asked. Annie hesitated for a second. She did not want them to feel left out since they were not going.

"Well, me and Robin are going rollerblading," she informed them after her moment of doubt.

"That will be so much fun," Megan commented.

"Sorry you aren't coming," Annie tried to apologize. The archer laughed.

"Why would we want to go. It would be no fun being a third wheel on your date," her voice took on an air of mischief at the word, 'date.' Megan laughed.

"Your right it does sound like a date," the martian agreed.

"Date?" Annie questioned.

"It's a romantic outing," Artemis bluntly explained. "So that's why you didn't like Grayson. You already had your eyes set on someone else," she continued. Annie was blushing,

"We should help her get ready," Megan directed the comment towards the blonde. Artemis did not get the chance to answer.

"Why?" Annie asked before the blonde could speak.

"Don't you want to look your best for Robin?" she answered with a question.

Annie had never really considered looks that much.

"Yes, I guess so," Annie asked. She did want to look nice, but she knew that she would need help for that to really happen.

She had no sense of style. That was why it was a blessing that the school she went to had a uniform. Outside of school she generally wore jeans and a t-shirt. She had never used make-up before. She had seen girls at school using it, but had no idea how it work. Her hair was still the same as it had been when she left the Lab. The only difference was that it was now parted to the side instead of straight down the middle.

"Sure," Artemis answered. Megan then dragged Annie and Artemis behind her in the direction of Annie's room.

"Okay, first we need an outfit," Megan said when they arrived in Annie's room. Artemis agreed while walking towards the closest. She opened the doors and began to shift through the clothes. Megan stood at her side. They chatted back and forth as they went through her closet. Annie stood behind them. She did not think that she could help them any, so she stayed out of their way

"These jeans would look really cute with this top," Megan commented.

"Yes, but she wears jeans a lot. We should pick something a little different from what she usually wears," Artemis replied. Megan agreed.

"Oh, look at this skirt," Megan said. The martian pulled out a black and red plaid skirt. "I think I was the one that actually got her to buy this," Megan said.

"You did," Annie said. It had been just over a week ago. Annie had been at the mall and Megan had insisted that the skirt would look good on her, so she bought it. Artemis nodded.

"That could work," she said.

Artemis pulled out a black shirt. "This and maybe some leggings," she said. Megan nodded. She handed Annie the skirt and the shirt.

"Grab some leggings, then try it on," she commanded. Annie did as she said.

She went into the bathroom and closed the door. Annie took of the baggy shirt that she had been wearing and slipped on the more form fitting shirt. She glanced at herself, before slipping on the leggings and the skirt.

Once she was finished changing she slipped out of the bathroom. Megan and Artemis stared at her. She began to feel self-conscious, but she felt better when they both nodded in approval.

"Shoes don't matter since their going rollerblading," Artemis said.

"Right, I want to curl her hair," Megan said. Artemis thought about this for a second.

"Okay, then maybe some light make-up," Artemis said.

"I'll go grab my curling iron," Megan said.

Why the girl who could instantly change her look with a thought needed a curling iron was lost on them all. Artemis suspected that Megan had it simply because she thought playing with it was fun. That is why she had been so eager to curl Annie's hair.

Megan arrived a little latter, and they all filed into the small bathroom. The martian began to curl the experiment's hair. The archer gave random comments as to how to improve the job. It did not take long, and once it was done Megan looked very proud of herself.

"You did a good job," Artemis complimented her. Megan smiled as she unplugged her curling iron.

"I'll do her make-up," Artemis said. She did after all have more experience with it that the green skinned girl.

Artemis generally did not share her make-up, but she thought that just this once she could make an exception. Artemis decided to use very little. Annie had never used make-up and she did not want to over do it.

Megan stood in the door way giving Artemis more room. The blonde pulled out her mascara. She showed it to Annie.

"Do you know how to use it?" she asked. Annie inspected it for a moment.

"It goes on your eyelashes, right?" Annie had seen it at school before. Artemis nodded as she pulled the brush out.

She handed to Annie. The brunette stared at it for a second. She then tried to copy how the girls at school always did. She nearly poked her eye out.

"Here, I'll do it," Artemis said as she took the brush from the girl. "Hold still," she said as she applied a light layer onto the young girl's eyelashes.

Other than the mascara the only make-up that she wore was lip gloss and the smallest amount of blush.

"All done," Artemis announced as she slipped out of the bathroom Annie following behind. Megan squealed when she saw her.

"You look so cute," she exclaimed. Annie blushed.

"Yeah, you do look nice," Artemis smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered.

The older girls then left leaving the youngest alone. She glanced at the clock. It was nearly noon. Annie slipped on some socks and a random pair of shoes. She then walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

She stared at her reflection and frowned a bit. The experiment suddenly wondered if she was pretty. She thought that she looked nice, but looks had never mattered to her so she did not really know what would be considered pretty.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Robin's arrival was announced. She ran out of her room, and went to greet him.

"Hello," she happily called as she dashed into the room that held the zeta-tubes. Robin looked at Annie.

"You look pretty," the words escaped his mouth before he could think about it. Annie blushed.

"You really think so?" the experiment who had never been called pretty before asked quietly.

"Yeah, you always look pretty," he told her confidently.

"Thank you," Annie's face was a dark red. She did not know why, but her heart was racing as if she had just ran several miles.

Robin cackled, "Let's go," he said.

"Okay," Annie followed Robin as they made their way to the front exit. The pair had just made their way out and the door was closing when they heard two voices call.

"Have fun on your date!" It was Artemis and Megan.

Annie felt her heart skip. Was this really date? She found herself asking silently. A date was, in Artemis's words, 'A romantic outing.' That would suggest that Robin had feelings for her just as she did for him. She had up until then been content with the conclusion that she liked him as more than a friend. She had not considered the idea that he may have the same feeling for her. Suddenly the experiment found herself hoping that Batman's protege did have feeling for her in the romantic way.

Robin did not show it, but he also was very nervous. To be blunt, he had never asked a girl out before, let alone had her say yes. He honestly was not even sure if this was a date. He did not even know if Annie knew what a date was. The dark haired boy hoped that she did.

"I hope your okay with walking there. It's not that far from the Mountain, and the weather is really nice today," Robin left off the fact that he was only thirteen, and legally could not drive. Annie smiled.

"I don't mind. I like walking. Outside is so beautiful. I don't think I'll ever get enough of it," she rambled slightly as they began to walk.

Robin chuckled softly at her. He had monumentally forgotten that up until resonantly she had never been outside. "It is really nice. You know maybe some other time we can go hiking, or something like that," he said. Annie thought for a bit.

"Hiking, that's were you go walking in the woods, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun, so is camping. Do you know what camping is?" he asked. Annie nodded, although her face took on the expression that Robin had come to translate as her being confused.

"I saw it on a movie I watched with Superboy and Megan. It didn't really look like fun. Well it did at first, but not at the end," she said.

"What happened at the end?" Robin asked wondering what she was talking about.

"There was this man, and he killed all of the teenagers. I can't remember why he did it. His reason did not make sense to me, so I sorta forgot it," she explained.

"Oh, what your talking about is a slasher film," Robin said.

"What does that mean," Annie asked. She had fully taken Robin's words to heart when he said that she could ask him anything. She now asked questions all the time.

"It's a movie where a crazy man hunts the main characters, and the main characters try to kill him before he can kill them," Robin had gotten used to answering her questions. "There are a lot that take place at a camp," he added more to himself than to her.

"Is it always a, 'he,'?" Annie asked.

"Most of the time it is," the boy who never showed his eyes answered as the cool breeze blew. It really was a nice day.

"Does that really happen when you go camping?" Annie asked seriously.

Robin laughed. "I've been camping, and I wasn't attacked by a psychopath," Robin had been attacked by several psychos, but not in the context that they were speaking in. Annie considered this for a second, and then looked at him with fake skepticism.

"You never know. You might have just gotten lucky," humor glinted in her eyes.

Robin caught on. She was joking. He laughed, and Annie laughed to. Her social skills were improving.

Page Break

Ms. Davidson sat in her office in the building located in Nevada. It was the main facility that her organization used. She was irritated. Davidson was waiting for Mr. Moore. They had apparently found the missing experiment, and he was supposed to have a meeting with her to discuss the matter. He was fifteen minutes late. Davidson hated being forced to wait, especially when other people where being forced to wait too.

"Is you scientist going to arrive soon?" Lex Luther asked dryly.

"He should be here soon. I'm sure whatever is keeping him is very important," she silently added, 'it better be.'

"You know I'm a very busy man. I really don't have time to be sitting around here waiting," he sighed.

Davidson flushed. She was going to kill Moore latter. "I'm very sorry. It shouldn't be that much longer," she reassured in the nicest voice she could muster, trying to keep the fury that burned within her at bay.

It was then that Moore and his assistant Ms. Taylor came into the room. "I'm so sorry for being so late," he panted, sweat glistening on his brow. He tried to explain his reason behind his being late, but did not get the chance before Davidson interrupted.

"It's fine, all that matters is that your here now. So let's get on with it," She may have said that it was fine, but her glare screeched that it was not and that he would be hearing more about it later.

Moore flinched at the thought, but did as she said. He took the folders that Taylor had been carrying from her and set them on the desk.

"We found the experiment," he flipped open the folder reveling a picture of a girl in a school uniform. It looked shockingly similar to Davidson's lost experiment. "It's masquerading under the pseudonym, 'Annie Martinez,'" He said before continuing.

**And there you have it. In the next chapter I'm going to continue with Annie and Robin, so I was thinking that if anyone had any suggestions as to what should happen on their, 'date,' I would be happy to hear them.**

**The next update should come soon. Please review. I love hearing peoples thoughts, either praise or criticism I greatly appreciate all :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

**Yes, the date chapter has come. Please enjoy!**

"_It's masquerading under the pseudonym, 'Annie Martinez,'" He said before continuing._ "It seems to be attending a private school in Gotham, but it has been caught on several security cameras in Happy Harbor, where Lex Luther said the sidekicks' base is located," Moore finished.

Davidson thought about this for a moment. "Martinez, that was the last name of the scientist who betrayed us, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," Moore replied.

"Has she been found?" Luther interjected. Moore glanced over at Taylor.

"No, we have had all our resources concentrated on finding the experiment," Moore replied. Davidson nodded.

"The experiment, what are you going to do with it when you get it back?" Taylor spoke up timidly from behind Moore. Davidson was silent for a moment.

"It would probably be best to exterminate it. We'll have it dissected though so that not all the years of research will be a waste," Davidson decided.

"Maybe not. It would be an awful shame to just throw it away," Luther said.

"Yes, a shame, but we worked hard to keep it sheltered. It was one of the only experiments that had full human emotions and thought. It was supposed to help it with problem solving and how to get out of bad situations. The downside is that it's very impressionable. By now it probably even thinks that it can have a normal life. That it's free from us," Davidson sighed.

"No reason to get rid of it. Just remind it of what it really is," Luther spelled it out for her. Davidson broke out into a feral smile as an idea began to form in her mind.

"I understand you," she nodded. "Moore, keep tabs on it, but find Martinez before moving in," she commanded.

"Why ma'am?" he asked perplexed. Davidson just continued to smile, and then plunged into an explanation of her plan.

Page Break

"There it is," Robin called pointing to the building in the distance. Annie's eyes widened with excitement. She grabbed his hand and began to run.

"Come on," she called. Robin allowed her to drag him.

They came to the white building that held the rollerblading arena. Annie stopped and stared at the building. Robin continued to walk.

"Let's head in," he suggested. Annie replied with an absent nod. They walked into the building shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.

Once inside they walked right up to the counter. Robin was painfully aware that they were still holding hands. Annie would have been more aware if she was not to distracted by everything else to pay attention. From the rollerblading area in the middle, the retro carpet, the small food court, the flashing lights, to the blaring music. She took it all in, her face full of awe.

Robin looked at her and smiled. He payed for the both of them at the counter, and got their rollerblades there as well. He handed one of the pairs to Annie.

"Try these on," he told her. She nodded and went over to a bench a few feet away.

"So, is this your first date?" the man behind the counter asked him. Robin looked at him. He was an aging man with graying hair. Robin nodded stiffly. The man smiled, and his eyes twinkled.

"You should keep an eye on her. She's real pretty, don't want to loose her," he laughed. The black haired boy looked over at the girl. He watched as she slipped on one of the skates. He felt his cheeks warm.

"Yeah," he mumbled, and then hurried off to where she was. The man watch him go reminiscing on his own days of youth many years prior.

Robin sat down next to Annie.

"Do they fit?" he asked.

"Yes, they fit fine," Annie nodded. Robin then put his own pair on. They began to skate after they both had them on. Robin had made his way out onto the polished wood floor first, and then Annie had followed him. The place was a lot less crowded than Robin had expected. There were only a few other people present.

"It's really slippery," Annie mumbled as she wobbled on the four wheels. She had a firm grip on the side of the area.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," he reassured her. He took her elbow in his hand and slowly began to lead her away from the wall. She let go hesitantly, and allowed him to help her along.

She stared down at the ground intent on not falling. Annie was terrified, but slowly her fear ebbed away into joy as she got the hang of it

"This really is fun," Annie said while finally taking her eyes off of the floor to look at Robin with a smile. Robin grinned back.

He slowly let go off her elbow, and let her fiend for her own. Robin allowed her to go about a foot in front of him.

"Hey, look I'm doing it," Annie's voice was full of accomplishment. Robin also felt his chest swell as he shared with her the felling of success.

She laughed, but it was cut off when she lost her balance. She fell backwards, and would have fallen onto the ground if Robin had not been there to catch her. She looked up into the lenses of his glasses, and found that she felt safe in his arms. Her cheeks went pink.

Robin helped her erect herself. He was slightly flustered at the aspect of having just caught the girl that he fancied in his arms. Of course being Robin, he would not show his embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. His voice was calm and slow, a clear contrast to the racing of his heart.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Thank you for stopping my fall," Annie was not so well at hiding her emotions.

"No problem," and with that they continued to skate. Annie got better as they continued. She did on occasion stumble a bit. Whenever that would happen she would instinctively grab Robin's arm. They would both feel adrenaline bolt and she would immediately release him.

They talked the whole time. Annie asked lots of questions.

"What's that?" she asked. They had been there for a couple hours, it was more crowded now.

"That's a disco ball," he answered. One of the shinny contraptions had just lowered from the ceiling, and the rest of the lights had dimmed.

"Yes, it's that time. Every guy grab a girls. Girls get yourself a guy. It's couples skate," a man announced over the speakers. Annie looked at Robin expecting him to supply answers.

"Couples skate, it's when only couples can skate," he told her.

"Oh, well we can continue to skate, right?" she asked him innocently.

"Sure, I guess," he replied nervously. Annie smiled. She looked around as all the light flashed, and the music blared. It was a song she did not know, but that was no surprise. She looked at the others on the floor. She observed that most of them were holding hands.

The experiment looked over at Robin's hand. She remembered holding his hand earlier, and found that she wanted to again. Without thinking she snatching his hand up into her's. Robin looked at her. She smiled back.

"Everyone else is," her voice was confident, but she did not feel very confident.

"Yeah, they are," Robin replied also hiding nervousness.

The awkwardness pasted quickly.

"How does it work?" Annie asked pointing up at the disco ball in the ceiling.

"It's a mirror ball that reflects the light, or something like that," he laughed at the last part. Annie nodded.

"It's pretty," she commented while staring at it.

"Yeah," Robin replied, but he was not looking at the mirror ball.

A half hour latter Robin suggested they leave.

"I guess we should," Annie agreed with a heavy voice. "I had a lot of fun," her voice lightened.

"Me too," Robin agreed as they turned in their skates.

"Do you think we could maybe do something like this again?" Annie asked as they walked outside.

"I would like that," Robin agreed. They started off on down the street back towards the mountain. It was much later, and the sun had dipped low into the horizon and would set soon.

Angelia took in the scenery The world was still so new and mysterious to her. She shivered, it was late in the year and the afternoon air was cold. She wrapped her arm around herself, and continued to laughing with Robin as they talked about the day.

"You cold?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah," Annie answered. Her arms were cold, her fingers and nose had begun to go numb, and her cheeks were brushed a light pink from the low temperature of the air. Robin took of his jacket revealing the hoodie underneath.

He draped the jacket over her shoulders. Annie wrapped it tightly around herself. She immediately began to feel warmer. His jacket was soft. It also smelled faintly of something like wood, it was nice.

"Don't want you to catch a cold," he supplied a reason for his actions. Annie looked over at him.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem. The first snow of the season will probably arrive in the next couple weeks," Robin small talked.

"Snow? That will be fun to see for the first time," she mused.

"Totally, snow is awesome," Robin laughed.

Annie smiled. She loved being around Robin. He was so kind. Speaking to him was easy, and she did not have to be afraid of saying anything stupid or weird. She knew that if she did he would kindly correct her on her mistake and not hold it against her in any way. She really did like him, as more than a friend.

She looked at Robin, and a random thought occurred to her.

"Are your eyes overly sensitive to light?" she asked curiously.

"No, what made you think that?" he asked quizzically.

"Well it's just that you're always wearing sunglasses, even now when the sun has practically set. I saw a movie with Megan in which a woman wore sunglasses all the time because her eyes were sensitive," Annie explained her reason behind the question that she had asked out of the blue.

"I wear them to protect my identity," Robin replied simply. Annie squinted.

"Why? I already know who you are," she stated. Robin's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if she had somehow found out that he was really Dick Grayson. "Your Robin," she finished confidently.

Robin gaped at her for a moment. It hit him that she did not know that Robin was not his real name. She thought that he was only Robin, and that there was no other identity. The possibility that Robin was just his alias had never even occurred to her.

"No, Robin is an alias not my real name," he stated slowly. He knew that he needed to explain how it really was to her, but he did not want her to be mad at him because of what he had to tell her.

"Why do you go by an alias?" her stream of questions began.

"I've made a lot of enemies as Robin. If they knew who I really was they might use my friends to get back at me," he explained.

"That makes sense," she contemplated.

"So you have another name, a civilian name?" she clarified. Robin nodded. "Can you tell me it?" she asked innocently. Robin's heart sank.

"I'm sorry, but no. Maybe someday I can tell you, but not now," he really did hope that one day he could tell her that he was really her friend from school.

She was silent for a moment. Robin wondered what she was thinking about. He hoped she was not to mad. If she was then maybe he could talk to Bruce and get his permission to tell her. It would take a lot of convincing, but he would do it if need be.

"That's okay," she answered. Robin let out a sigh. He threw away his idea of going to Batman.

"I'm glad you think that way. I was a little worried that you would be mad," he confessed.

"Why would I be mad? A name is just a word used to address someone, nothing special," she shrugged. In Annie's world a name really was nothing important. Unlike the rest of the population were a name held much weight.

Their conversation moved to more lighter subjects for the duration of the walk back to the Mountain. They arrived back just as the sun set, and the moon took dominion over the night sky.

"Bye," Robin said, sad that the day had ended.

"Goodbye," she answered and then slipped his jacket off. "Thank you again, for the jacket and for taking me out today. It was amazing," Annie handed him the jacket with a smile.

"No problem, I'll see you latter," he said, also smiling, and then he left.

**I really hope that the date lived up to everyones expectations. I am a little worried that it won't. Please review, I love hearing what you guys think :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Quick note: This chapter does have some mildly gruesome violence. Not anything bad, but I thought I would mention it anyway.**

**Please enjoy :)**

"That's so lame. You didn't even kiss her," Wally laughed at his friend. They were at his house in Central City. It was a Wednesday, and the red head had just gotten Robin to tell him about his date with Annie.

"At least I got a date," he snarled in reply.

"Hey, I could get a date with any girl I want," Wally yelled back.

"Sure you could," Robin's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yep," Wally chirped as he jumped up from where he was sitting on his bed. He had missed Robin's obvious sarcasm because his mind was on something else, food.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked as he got out of the desk chair he had been sitting in to follow his friend.

"The kitchen of course," Wally looked back over his shoulder at the dark haired boy that was following him, and he beamed as he spoke. Robin shook his head.

"You are completely controlled by your stomach," he chuckled.

Wally jumped up on the counter of the kitchen he had a chocolate bar in his hand. "Since you didn't kiss her on your date your going to kiss her later right?" Wally asked between bites. Robin sighed.

"I don't even know if it was a date," Robin confided.

To be honest Robin was seeking advice. Wally might not have been the best one to go to, but it was who the thirteen year old had decided to confide in. Robin had already shared his secret identity with him, so it was obvious that the fifteen year old has earned his trust.

"What do you mean?" Wally asked.

"Well, we never actually called it a date," Robin confessed. Wally laughed. Robin frowned and playfully smacked the boy on the arm. "Quit it," he snarled.

"Sorry Rob. I'm pretty sure it was a date. With the way you described it, it sounded like one at least," Wally calmed down to reassure his friend.

"Now that you know it was a date your going to kiss her right?" Wally sneered the calmness of his voice that was in his last statement was gone. Robin frowned quickly getting tired of Wally's badgering.

"Maybe," he snarled. Wally laughed at that and Robin quickly joined him.

"_And the body of a young woman was found brutally murdered in the streets of Dallas Texas. Her identity was confirmed as Lily Martinez,"_ Iris West's voice was heard from the living room. Wally's father was watching the news in there. Robin frowned, 'Martinez.' He tried to brush it off as a coincidence, but his mind trailed to someone that Annie had mentioned on occasion. There was a woman that she called solely Ms. Martinez. Never had the young experiment mentioned a first name, and Robin had never inquired to get it. Now he wished that he had.

Page Break

Annie sat with Conner in the living room. The news was playing on the television. She listened intently as they talked about politics that she did not understand at all. Superboy listened as well. Annie did not know how much of it he even understood, but she assumed that it was more than her. The girl could smell the sweet aroma of the cookies that Megan was baking.

She decided that she was doing no good listening to people talk about stuff that she could not fathom, so she concluded that her time would be better spent helping Megan. Even though there would not be much for her to do since the cookies were already in the oven baking. Annie stood up from the coach and got ready to leave, but something stopped her. "_And in other news a woman was gruesomely murdered in the streets of Dallas. The police have released the identity of the victim to be Lily Martinez. The killer has not been caught,_" the man on the television told her.

The young experiment stared at the screen as they showed a picture of the victim when they were alive. It was definitely Ms. Martinez. Annie's body went rigid and her mouth fell open. She stood there like a deer in head lights for several minutes. Thoughts swirled around in her head like a hurricane. She jerked when a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Megan inquired.

"I..." Annie trailed off. "No," she did not want to talk to Megan, but she was not one to lie either.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the martian inquired kindly. Annie bit her lip. She shook her head and walked out of the room. Megan watched her go. She was worried about the girl, but if Annie did not want to talk to her Megan could not force her to.

Annie rushed through the hallways. She practically leaped into her room and did something completely out of character for her, she shut the door. The young girl sunk down on the floor next to her bed. As soon as she hit the floor she broke. Tears flowed down her face. No coherent thought entered into her mind

The only thing that occupied her mind was despair. The experiment's mind stayed like that for what felt like hours to her. In reality it had only been like that for ten minutes. After those ten minutes had come and gone the fog in her mind began to clear. Her thoughts changed from a chaotic mess and found order.

She began to assess the situation. Ms. Martinez was dead. The first being to ever treat her like an actual human was gone. Annie whimpered a bit at that. The people on the news may not have known who had done it, but Annie did know. The Lab had killed her. Annie had no proof to support this claim, but in her mind she did not need any proof.

Annie cried harder as the Lab came to her mind. Since escaping she had been able to try and pretend that it had not really happened. She had tried to sweep it under the rug like a bad dream, and she had done a decent job in doing so. She had come to the point where she could convince herself that they were not really out there. Then this happened, and the walls she had built to protect herself came crashing down. The death of Martinez reminded her that the Lab was still out there, and something in the escaped experiment's gut told her that they would be coming after her next.

They would be so mad when they found her. Annie knew that as fact. The Lab had spent all their time DE-humanizing her. They had treated her as less than human since she was first made. The Lab had made it clear to all the scientist that worked on Experiment 147 to not get attached to her. All the scientist that worked on her did a good job of doing that.

In her first years Annie had no humanity. She did not even know that there was a world outside of her prison. The experiment knew nothing except for what the scientists told her. What the scientists told her was simply how to fight and other such things that they thought would be useful for her to know. They did not tell her about the world outside.

That did not come till she was nine. Martinez came to work on the Experiment 147 project when Annie was nine. It was Martinez's job to educate the girl about the world that she would eventually enter. It was a hard job. Martinez was to help prepare the girl to become a mercenary.

The Lab had instructed Martinez not to get attached. They told her to tell the child about how the world worked, but to avoid giving Annie the sense that she belonged of it. Martinez was to make it clear to the nine year old child that she did not belong among human society. She was not to give her morals.

The scientist did as she was told. She treated Annie as less than human. It was easy at first. When Martinez first met Annie it was in a small white room. The only furniture was a gray table with two chairs. The girl had her back to Martinez and did not turn to look at her when the door opened. Martinez assumed that the child did not hear the door open. The scientist cleared her throat in hopes of getting the experiment's attention.

Martinez scowled when it did not work. Martinez walked around the girl and took a seat at the chair across from where the child was standing. It was then that Martinez saw what the child was doing. Experiment 147 was standing against the table tracing her fingers along the small logo of the company that made to table. The logo was engraved into the table, and it seemed to fascinate the child.

The girl looked away from the logo and to Martinez when the scientist sat down. Martinez smiled when the girl finally looked at her. The smile quickly dropped though when she finally did get Annie's gaze. It was then that she truly took in the nine year old's appearance.

The child had a dirty white dress draped over her gaunt frame. The child was a sickly pale, and was very small to be nine. Martinez knew that the experiment was nine because she had a gotten a folder with information on the girl when she excepted the project. The experiment's age was included in it. Upon first entering the room Martinez had been blind to the blunt sighs of mistreatment. It was the child's face that shocked her out of it.

The child's face was pale as a piece of paper, just as the rest of her was. The mangled mop of brown hair was a drastic contrast to the shade of her skin. She had dark circles around her empty brown eyes. Her lips were a chapped pale pink.

The two held each others gaze till Annie looked away. The child's sad eyes had flashed in the direction of the chair that was on her side of the table. Martinez understood that the child was asking permission to sit. The scientist nodded, and the experiment sat down. Annie stared at her expectantly. Martinez cleared her throat and began to talk to the child.

Martinez talked to her for an hour. In that hour she informed the child that there was in fact something else other than the lab that she was imprisoned in. The girl had taken the information without question. For the whole hour all the child did was stair blankly at Martinez. The only reason that the scientist could assume that the experiment was listening to her at all and not just zoning out was that every once in awhile the girl would nod her head. In that first hour the experiment did not utter even a single word to Martinez.

Martinez talked to the girl for a single hour every day for the next several weeks. The girl always looked exactly the same. The only thing that ever changed in the experiment's appearance was the injuries. Everyday that Martinez saw the girl it seemed like she had a new cut, bruises, or some other injury.

The only big change that the girl ever went through was after Martinez had been working with her for a month the scientist had come to talk to the girl after not being able to see her for a couple day. The Lab had not explained the girl's absence to Martinez. The scientist had walked in to find the girl sitting the chair that had her back to the door.

The girl always sat in that chair, and Martinez always sat in the chair across from her. Lily Martinez walked to the other chair and sat down with a smile on her face. Just as her first day, Martinez's smile dropped at the sight of the girl.

Annie was wearing a new dress. It looked exactly like the last one except that it did not have any stains. What struck Martinez was the girl's appearance. Most of the left side of her face was wrapped in bandages, both her hands were wrapped as well, and her right arm was in a full cast. Those were the only injuries that Martinez saw, but there were several other hidden under the white fabric she wore.

"What happened?" Martinez questioned. It was the first question that she asked the girl that required actual words to answer. Up until then Martinez had only asked questions that Annie could answer with a nod or shake of her head.

"Mr. Long lost control of one of the Beast," she answered quietly. It was all she had to say. Martinez could fill in the rest of the blanks.

What had happened was that a few days before some of the scientists had lost control of one of the Beast and Annie had had the dis pleasure of being in the same room. The thing had broken from the control of Mr. Long and the other scientist that was guiding it. It had snapped one of the scientist's neck. The other scientist, Mr. Long, had run and smashed his fist into a button on the wall. His hand bled as pieces of glass from the covering over the button embedded into his hand. The red button caused a loud siren to cut through the building. It let everyone know that one of the experiment's had escaped.

The thing had growled and grabbed Mr. Long. It threw him into the opposing wall like a rag doll. Mr. Long did not die, but he did loose consciousness. The scientist next to Annie had hissed at her to stay put, and then he had run over to try and subdue the crazed experiment.

The man had pulled out a taser, but he never got to use it. The Beast had taken note of him. The creature was upon him within seconds. It had grabbed the man and torn his arm clean off at the shoulder joint. Annie would never forget the man's horror filled screams, nor would she forget seeing the blood spewing from the wound, the white bone that stuck out a bit, or the thing that smirked as it tossed aside the body of the dead man and the arm that it had been holding.

The creature had then turned its crazed eyes upon Annie. The nine year old stayed rooted in place as the thing ran towards her. It did not run like a man on two legs, but it ran like an animal on all fours. She was snapped from her daze when the creature stuck her. Its claws raked across her left cheek. The swipe had sent her flying into the wall to her right. She shrieked when the force of the impact caused her arm to shatter.

The experiment sunk to the ground her head pounded as pain shot through her. She gripped her broken arm as blood dripped from her cheek to the white fabric of her dress. She looked and saw the fiend lunging at her. She rolled out of the way and the thing collided with the wall. Annie scrambled to her feet, but she was quickly knocked down again when the thing jumped on her.

Her face scrunched as she tried to hold it back. Both her hands were placed on its face as she tried to keep the snarling thing away. A drop of red liquid fell onto her cheek from the thing's nose that had begun to bleed when it hit the wall. The girl panicked and her hands began to glow. There was a loud bang as the creature's head exploded. Annie gasped as she was showered with blood and brain matter. The headless body fell on top of her causing all the breath from her lungs to be pushed out. Annie struggled to get it off of her, and with great effort she finally succeeded.

The girl scrambled to her feet and tried to run away, but she had only taken one step when she slipped in the quickly growing puddle of blood. She fell to the ground and caught herself with her hands. Her right arm burned as she caught herself, and her left hand squashed something when it was placed on the floor. That something was a piece of brain. She crawled to the other side of the room. The girl got as far away from the dead body as possible. She crouched in the corner. The girl was covered from head to toe in blood, and she soon lost consciousness. She later awoke in the medical bay.

Annie fidgeted in her seat as she looked at Martinez. "Am I allowed to ask you a question?" the girl whispered. The experiment's eyes inspected the cast on her arm as she waited for an answer.

"Yes, you can," Martinez assured her calmly. On the inside the woman was extremely happy. Annie had never shown any interest in talking to her before.

"What does dying mean?" the girl's voice was barley audible. Martinez stayed quiet. She did not know how to respond. Annie looked up at her, and for the first time Martinez saw her face betray an emotion that was not sadness. The emotion was curiosity.

"I worded that question wrong. The Beast that got out of control, I killed it. Where is it now?" she continued. "That is what I want to know. I understand that dying means the end of your life, but what happens after the end. Where do you go when you die?" the girl's voice went from a whisper to the volume of an average inside voice.

Martinez cleared her throat. "That is a very hard question that no one actually knows the answer to," the scientist told her. Annie frowned at that. "But people have come up with several theories, and I can share those to you," the woman offered. The girl nodded excitedly. Martinez spent the next hour explaining what different people think happens when you die. In that hour Martinez saw Annie display several examples of emotions. The girl asked several questions as well. In that time Experiment 147 became a human in the eyes of Martinez.

Soon enough they began spending the hour that they spent together everyday talking about philosophy. Martinez found herself doing exactly what she was not supposed to do. She gave the girl morals. The pair spent several years like that. Everything was okay till the Lab told Martinez that they believed that the experiment was ready. That Annie would be given her first job. It was then that Martinez knew that it was time to find a way to free the child, and she did.

Experiment 147 locked away the death of the Beast in the very back of her mind. She tried to forget it had ever happened.

Annie Martinez cried in her room at Mount Justice as she thought about the death of the woman who had been the first to see her as a person. The experiment was stricken with sorrow, but she was also afraid. For she knew that the Lab would be coming for her next.

**Hope you liked it. Please review :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry it took so long. I've been real busy with stuff. The next update will probably also take awhile. I'm going to be out of town visiting family for a couple week. After that updates should speed up. This chapter is shorted than most, but it's still an important chapter. Please enjoy!**

"Let's go to the Mountain," Wally suggested already on his way to the front door. Robin quickly followed behind.

"Sure, let's go," Robin agreed happily. Wally called out to his mother where they were going, and then they made their way out into the cold. The two young heroes walked to the zeta tube that was located in Central City. They arrived at the Cave in a flash of blue.

Annie was pulled out of her thoughts as she could hear the computer announcing the arrival of Wally and Robin. Her mind stayed on the latter name. On a normal day she would go greet him, but that day was not a normal day. That day was the day Ms. Martinez died.

Instead of going to greet him she simply wiped one of her eyes and continued to sit on the floor with her back against her bed. She allowed herself to fall back into thought. She stayed that way until her door slide open.

The devastated girl looked over to see Robin standing in her doorway. Upon his arrival Megan had told him of Annie's strange behavior. He had gone to check on her. Wally had staid behind, and was at that time in the kitchen bickering with Artemis. The boy's eyes widened behind his glasses upon seeing her. She looked awful.

She was no longer crying. The girl was all out of tears. Her eyes were red and puffy from rubbing them. She had slight streaks running down her face from the tears. Her hair was matted and appeared dull. Her whole appearance looked deflated and fragile.

Robin walked in, and wordlessly sat down next to her. They just sat there in silence for several minutes. Finally Robin decided that he could not take the noiselessness any longer. He cleared his throat and let the first thing that came to mind out.

"Are you okay?" he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. She was not okay. He did not need her to speak to tell him that, but he had asked anyways. It was as if he was using the question to deviate where he stood in the conversation. If she wanted to find comfort in him she would answer, 'no.' If she wanted to be left alone to figure out whatever was bugging her on her own then she would lie and tell him that she was fine.

The silence that fell back into place as he awaited her answer was painfully oppressive. The silence was cut into when he heard the distinctive sound of swallowing. He looked at Annie expectantly. "No," her voice was a whisper.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Robin found that his voice had also fallen into a whisper even though there was no reason for them to whisper.

"Ms. Martinez is dead, and the Lab will now be coming after me," Annie deadpanned.

"She was Lily Martinez," he mused to himself.

"Yes," Annie answered even though it had not been a question. Robin licked his lips and he pondered over how to continue.

"The Lab killed her," Annie continued. Robin decided that just listening would be how he would continue. "I know it," her voice was strong and sure. There was no wavering her in that belief. Her shoulders shook, and she would have been crying if there had been anything left for her to cry. Her breath was haggard. Robin but a hand on her shoulder hoping that it would help calm her down. It did.

Her breathing evened, and her shaking halted. "It will be okay," Robin comforted.

"Are you sure?" Annie questioned as she look up at him.

"Yeah," he stated confidently. Robin had faced the death of loved ones before. He knew from experience that it was hard, but he also knew that things did get better in time.

"It will hurt a lot at first, but once you stop focusing on the life that they lost and focus on the life that they did have the pain will dull," he told her. Annie mulled over that for a time.

"I understand," she said with a slight smile. "I should focus on the good times and not on what was lost."

"Exactly," Robin agreed.

Annie felt her hopes rise as she continued to think over the idea that Robin had presented to her. It was a concept that most people had heard at least once in their lives before. Annie was not most people. This was the first time she had ever been told to concentrate on what she had, and not what was lost.

"You would have liked Ms. Martinez," she told him. Robin nodded. He was not about to disagree with that claim.

"I'm sure I would have," he agreed. Annie smiled and continued.

"Yeah, she was really smart like you, and nice." Robin felt mild embarrassment at her compliments.

"She sounds like a wonderful person," Robin said.

"She was," Annie nodded. Silence fell around them, but it was not heavy and depressing as it had been before. It was light and comfortable.

Robin smiled slightly. He was glad to be able to help her. He cared for the girl a lot. He did not like seeing her sad. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as if he was afraid of her catching him looking at her. Annie was looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes were glazed and she had a look of content on her face.

"I'm glad I met you," Annie told him suddenly. Robin's eyebrows scrunched at the sudden comment.

"I'm glad I met you, too" his voice was calm even though his heart was pounding violently against his chest. He suddenly became very aware of his hand that was still laying atop her shoulder.

Annie hesitated for a moment. She then reached up and to the hand that he had on her shoulder in her own. She did not let go, but continued to hold his hand. "I'm afraid," she told him.

"Why?" Robin questioned.

"The Lab," she explained all her fears in those two three letter words. Robin hummed as he understood what she meant.

"They won't get you," he told her. She glanced at him. "I won't let them," he pledged.

"_We_ won't let them," another voice spoke. Annie jumped and tightened her grip on Robin's hand as she looked in the door way. The rest of the team was standing there. Artemis had been the one to speak before.

"Really?" Annie questioned dumbly. That was the best response she could think of at the moment. She had been surprised by the arrival of them all.

"Of course. Part of being a team is watching out and being there for each other no matter how hard things become," Kaldur reassured her.

Wally zipped next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "That's also part of being friends," Wally informed her. Annie answered with a silent nod.

"We'll always be their for each other, won't we?" Megan commented.

"Of course, beautiful," Wally said as he took his arm from around Annie. Artemis scoffed as she whacked him on the head as she took a seat on Annie's bed.

"Yes," Superboy answered Megan's question. The martian looked at him and beamed. The others looked at the clone as well, and they all nodded in agreement with what he said. They stayed in Annie's room and began to break off into small talk.

Annie was sitting on the floor with her back leaning against her bed. Wally and Robin were on either side of her. They were talking about a new video game that had come out resonantly. Artemis was sitting on her bed. The archer was listening as Annie told her about a book she had begun to read the other day. Megan was sitting at Annie's desk. Superboy was standing next to her. They were talking about their school's upcoming football game. Kaldur was leaning against the wall occasionally making comments in all of their conversations.

The experiment paused in what she was saying and looked around. A warm sensation grew within her. She wished that she could stay in that moment forever. Around them she felt needed. She considered all of them her friend, maybe even family. The Lab was still a problem. She knew that it was only a matter of time till they made their move, but she also knew that when they did she would not be alone. She glanced at Robin, and then the others hoping that they would never be torn apart.

They were the first group of kids her age that she had ever been close to, and she cherished them all. Annie prayed that they would always be such close friends, and in that moment it seemed completely plausible to her. In fact, the naive girl was positive that they would be friends forever.

**That has to be the sappiest thing I have ever written. I did it because I liked the idea of them having a conversation about always being friends. Especially with how in the time skip they don't seem to be that close anymore.**

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:**

**Speaking of the time skip. Someone asked if I was going to include the time skip. I hadn't really thought about it previously, but after they suggested it I gave it some thought. I'm considering doing a sequel that would take place after the time skip. I already have a general idea for what the plot would be. It's still a very rough idea, but I think I could make something of it if people want me to. So, that's what this whole rambling is about. I want to ask you (my readers) if that's something you would want to see. Just for the record this story is actually getting close to the end. A couple other things need to happen. Then I'm going to wrap things up, and how exactly I'm going to wrap things up matters on if I'm going to be doing a sequel or not. So please review or send me a private message telling me your thoughts on all this :)**


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